Love's Embers
by Tyrila Anios
Summary: [[COMPLETE]] A new girl in town, a new blader, a new friend. With a tournament coming up, who knows what will be sparked by her arrival? Friendship? Hatred? Love...?
1. Prolouge: Wandering The Riverbank

Disclaimer-I don't own Beyblade in any way whatsoever, but I do own this story and my OC characters. Enjoy!

Song For This Chapter: Along The Cedar Creek-Dan Gibson

**Prolouge - Wandering The Riverbank **

**T**he young 16-year-old girl walked down the bank, exploring her surrondings with her keen eyes. The gentle, but happy smile on her face showed she was in a great mood, and nothing whatsoever could ruin it.

The girl stopped at the waters edge, and looked at it, smiling wider as she saw her cerulean blue eyes reflect off the clear waters surface. She sat down on the back, watching fish swim along the river, her eyes lazily following them. Fiddling with her black choker sleepily, she sat up and shook a bit of her fire-red hair out of her face.

Getting up now, she looked out towards the horizon, watching the deep blue skies slowly fade to a violet sunset. By this time she had sat back down, in too good a mood to even care about anything any more. Her gentle eyes closed sleepily, herself dozing off into a kind of half-daze. She was awakened by the sounds of a beybattle close at hand. Getting up, she realised that the sun had dipped ever more into the river's horizon, reflecting off the water. It was a beautiful sight to see, she knew that.

Hopping up the bank energetically, she made her way down to the spot where she heard the beybattle come from. Looking down from the tree she sat in to watch, the girl noted that there were two boys fighting for a start. One of them was blonde with a blue tshirt on and sparkling blue eyes. The other was a black haired boy with long hair, most of it tied up by a bandana. She surveyed the scene with interest, her blue eyes gazing over the scene for some time.

She could hear what the boys were saying too:

"DRIGER, TAKE HIM DOWN!"

"Draciel, don't drop your guard!"

The battle raged on, both of them not finding a reason to quit.

"Let's go Draciel, get him!"

"Driger, dodge him!"

The blades clashed time and time again. _This is getting monotonous, _the girl thought with a heavy sigh.

It raged on for quite some more time. In fact, it couldn't have been more than half an hour, but it felt more to the girl in the tree, as the summer heat quickly receded from the air and chilled the tree. She shivered.

"God DAMMIT! One more time Driger!"

She wasn't too pleased with these two. _After all, _she thought, _I could beat them in my sleep. _Suddenly a very devious thought sprung up in her mind. Gripping her blade, she loaded it into her launcher silently and expertly. Raising it slightly so it was at her eye level, she aimed...

_Driger's really not up to himself, _Ray thought, swearing angrily under his breath, _I really need to start training more, and not just go in for the odd battle._

Ray could tell that Max was thinking the same thing about Draciel. As Draciel suddenly attacked, Driger dodged speedily, but not fast enough, it would seem. Driger got scratched along the side a bit, but just about remained spinning. Sighing heavily, Ray ordered Driger to do the same to Draciel. The exact same thing happened, but with Draciel as the victim this time.

"Hey Ray!"

Ray looked up.

"Yeah Max?"

"Maybe we should call it a night. It's getting dark and the others will be wondering where we were."

"Good ide-"

Ray didn't get to finish his sentence. Instead of finished his sentence, he was cut off by a crimson blade as it unexpectedly shot into the dish with lightning speed.

"What the hell?" Max gasped as he looked into the dish.

The two bladers were about to recall their blades when in a flash of white light, both their blades were blasted out of the dish by an invisible force. Max's shot so fast past him, he didn't even have time to try and catch it, as it went on going and slammed into the wall behind him. The exact same happened to Ray's, and like Max's, it went so deep into the wall that it looked like it had almost smashed all the way through. Ray and Max were still, frozen with shock for a second, before both their gazes turned with eerie unison towards the dish at their feet. The crimson blade spun for several seconds in the dish, before shooting into a nearby tree.

Ray and Max were frozen, but they noticed something. A young girl, who couldn't have been more than 15 or 16, jumped down from the tree with the crimson blade in her hand.

"Hey you!" Ray yelled at the girl.

The girl looked round. Red hair tumbled down her shoulders, pulled back into a ponytail, and even in the dying light, both of them could see she had light blue eyes the colour of the summer sky.

"What did you do that for?" Max shouted.

The girl raised an eyebrow before grinning mischeiviously.

"Well?" both yelled.

The girl shook her head and said in a light, airy voice, "Boys boys. Don't you know your mommies will be waiting for you?"

At that, Max snapped.

"Get BACK HERE!" he shrieked at the girl, yelling after her even as she dissapeared from sight over the bridge.

AN: Hee hee. The girl sure is mischievious, eh? You'll be seeing LOTS more of her in the next chapter, and in the many chapters beyond that.)

SNEAK PEEK OF NEXT WEEKS CHAPTER:

_Trixie opened one eye lazily to look at the teenager._

_Rally looked up from her magazine, to face the girl in front of her._

_"Well well." she said, grinning, "Looks like Ember Makotina has had a good time."_

AN: Mweheehee! Want to know what happens next? See you Friday 12th May!

Tyrila Anios xxx


	2. Chapter 1: Back To The Orphanage

Disclaimer: Don't own Beyblade in any way, blah blah blah, apart from MY OCs and this story.

Okay. Disclaimer over. ON WITH THE STORY!

Song For This Chapter: Dirty Harry-Gorillaz

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

**Chapter 1 - Back To The Orphanage **

**T**he night sky was dark when the red-haired girl arrived at the orphanage. An unusual place to go at night, many people would have thought. But not for her. For the young girl, this WAS her home. Sad, she knew, but unfortunatley, it was all that was left.

_All that was left of her home..._

She shook the saddening thought out of her head and sighed deeply. This just wasn't what she would have loved to have, and it wasn't what most people thought someone as pretty as her would have wanted to have.

_Just want to feel loved..._

Most people who looked as beautiful as her would have wanted to become a model, or an actress, a singer, a reporter, anything that involved working with and being on TV.

_Not like the rest..._

Sighing heavily yet again, she made her way up the orphanage steps, but then stopped.

_What time was it?_

She looked up at the clock on top of the orphanage tower. 11.30pm. Her curfew was 10pm.

_...shit._

Putting her hair up into a silky bun, she ran around the back and slipped up through a small vent shaft. Making her way along slowly, she stopped and paused once or twice to check she was going in the right direction. She was. Smiling gently, she continued silently through the vents, ignoring the cries that emanated from the rooms below her. She was used to this as well. At last, after several minuites of crawling, she had found the vent she was looking for.

There were no screws on the vent airtrap (she had removed them when she first came back late). Slipping the trap off slowly, she then jumped down onto the floor below, alerting the residents of the room to her presence.

Trixie opened one eye lazily to look at the teenager.

Rally looked up from her magazine to face the girl in front of her.

"Well well." she said, grinning, "Looks like Ember Makotina has had a good time."

-o-o-o-o-

"And then she just took off!"

Tyson tilted his head slightly, thinking about what Max had just said. Max and Ray had just made it back and finished telling them about their experience slightly earlier on. Kenny nodded slowly, taking in all the information. Hilary looked up at them, confused, questions running through her mind.

Kai, as usual, did nothing.

"Wait..." Hilary said slowly, "Who was this girl?"

"We don't know," Ray said, "She just ran away. We didn't have the chance to get her name, thanks to a certian SOMEBODY-(here he glared at Max)- and so we don't think we have any way to track her."

Ignoring Max's angry protesting, Kenny came up to Ray and asked, "How old did you say she was again?"

"We don't know. She looked about 15 or 16. I'd say 16."

Kai raised an eyebrow.

"At least I now know that you didn't get beaten by a little girl," he said, a smirk slowly becoming an evil grin.

"WHY YOU-" Ray was cut off by Max tripping over Ray's outsretched leg, sending Ray and himself tumbling to the floor.

Kai laughed, then said in a more serious tone: "Does this REALLY matter anyway?"

Tyson, who had been in deep thought for the past few minutes, then spoke up.

"It does matter Kai. She beat them faster than anything I've ever heard of. And the way she beat them was even more unusual than her choice of blader..."

"Whaddya mean, _"choice of blader" _?" Ray said indignantly.

"I thought for sure that if anyone was going to get attacked by a mystery blader, it would be me or Kai, considering as we both came in the top two bladers in the world. And with me being the world champ an' all, I thought it was well more likely that I was going to be attacked."

There was a stunned silence.

"That's the smartest thing I've heard you say all day." Kai said bluntly.

Tyson shot him a death glare.

"You know," Hilary piped up, "Tyson's right. Why would she choose Ray and Max when she could have obviously followed you two back and challenged Tyson?"

"Oh," Kai said, his voice possesing a hint of venom, "So now you're agreeing with the prick?"

"Watch your mouth!" Max said irritably.

Kai shut up quickly, but muttered something about "smartass bastard" under his breath.

Ignoring him, Ray quickly said, "But what if she didn't know who you were, Tyson?"

Tyson immediatley replied with "That's stupid. Of course she knows who I am! How can she not? I AM THE WORLD CHAMPION!"

Rolling his eyes, Kenny sighed, then said: "Look, Tyson, she may be from somewhere else. Somewhere...different."

"So she's an alien?" Max said.

"No Max. No aliens." Hilary joked.

"Who knows where she's from?" Max sighed, "She could be from halfway across the world for all we know."

"So," Kai said, "Are we now going to stop talking about the chick and just go train? PLEASE?"

"Calling a girl 'chick' are ya now Kai?" Ray smirked.

Blushing and sweatdropping furiously, Kai growled something about giving them extra training for eternity if they didn't shut up.

"Okay okay!" Max yiped quickly, a big sweatdrop down his face, "We'll go train, your highess!"

"Good." Kai spat, "Now MOVE!"

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

AN: Okay, I know that chappie was a little boring, but it's 7:20am in the morning, I've been up since 5am, gimmie a break here! There'll be some chatting with the people in the orphanage next chappie. Hopefully tommorow or this afternoon, seeing as its Friday WOOT dances I know this is supposed to be a romance story as well, but that'll show up later. Right now, it's just preparing them both giggles

SNEAK PEEK OF CHAPTER 2

_"A tournament?" Damien said, "Seriously?"_

_Ember nodded._

_"Well," Rally grinned, "It looks like our week just got a lot more interesting."_

AN: MWAHAHAHAAAAAAAA! ahem I don't think Kai is this talkative in the show (actually, I know he's not) but I just wanted to give you a little laugh with his sarcasm See you tonight!

Tyrila Anios xxx


	3. Chapter 2: How It Started

Disclaimer: Do I have to? Le sigh...do not own beyblade, only own this story and the OCs.

I hate disclaimers. They just take up space.

Song For This Chapter: Talk-Coldplay

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

**Chapter 2-How It Started In The First Place**

**"So," **Rally said, the grin still plastered to her face, "What did you do this time eh?"

Ember smiled, then said: " I broke up a little beybattle between two punks."

"Oh really?" Trixie said.

Rolling her eyes, Ember smirked, "Yes, really, Trixie ya ass."

Trixie threw at pillow at Ember.

Catching it deftly, Ember grinned. Trixie was one of those few people who she could actually have a comfortable conversation with. That's why she was her blading teammate.

Team Dragonness was not a well known team, but already, during their 4 months of battling, they'd never lost a match in their career so far. Some of the other orphanage bladers would joke around and call them "The Girl Dragons" which is where their team name had originated from. They'd originally been called "Girl 3" but had changed it for Team Dragonness, which sounded much more professional and better. Ember liked it better anyway, as it matched her bitbeast more.

They also had a new member since changing their name. Damien Tarnol was a tough blader, who'd apparently just popped out of nowhere. He was good, but not nearly as good as Ember.

Looking down at her crimson blade, which was still tucked into the palm of her hand, she saw Flare flash slightly. She smiled. Ever since she had got Flare a year and a half ago, she'd been blading like there was no tommorow. She hadn't been the best at first-in fact, to put it bluntly, she'd been plain rubbish. But many hours of determined training and practice had changed all that into quite the opposite. Ember was now an exteremley tough blader, and she was determined for it to stay that way. She trained for at least an hour each morning before breakfast, before going for a run after school. Then, she'd train almost all day until it was time to go back. Back to _the place._

Ember wasn't fond of the old dump. It had some very old memories she would have rather forgotten. Shaking her head, she sat down next to Trixie, who promptly tried to push her off the bed. Ducking just in time, Ember ran over to her bed, jumped onto it and collapsed down.

"So," Rally said cooly, "Who were they?"

Ember shrugged, "Dunno. The blondie looked kinda cute though, even if he has a big mouth on him."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Kai was bored.

Correction.

He was very, very bored.

Watching the others being tortured had been fun at first, but now it was just getting boring. And he certianly didn't need help with that. Sighing deeply, he wandered over to where Tyson was whipping Ray to hell and back. Smiling as he overviewed the technique, he walked off to examine the grounds Max was training on. Max was whacking the blade into a nearby tree, trying to take it down.

Pacing out to the gate, he turned back and looked. Knowing he wasn't going to be missed, he walked off into town, hands in his pockets.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Ember wandered down the street, humming a merry tune. She was feeling half full today, and liked it. Striding down the street, she passed many a child who was happily singing. They were feeling exactly the same as she was. And who couldn't feel so good on such a nice day? The sun was shining down onto the pavement, beating her fair face with its warming rays. Beaming almost as much as the sun, Ember continued on her way.

_Wow, _she thought, passing several people who said hello to her, _maybe this place isn't so bad. Maybe I could actually get used to living here. _

The people seemed nice. The weather seemed wonderful. And she had to admit, she liked this kind of suburban to city lifestyle. It was a whole lot different than some of the other places she'd lived in her life, what with some being the most up to date you could get, and one she remembered all too well was one where there was absolutley nothing decent. It was the worst worst WORST for her then.

The tall buildings in the distance shone under the sun as she continued down the street. In fact, she was so much absorbed in feeling happy that she nearly missed the poster than was on the wall.

Nearly.

But not quite.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"Wow! Sounds awesome Kai!" Max said, gaping at the blue and red poster Kai held in front of him.

"Looks awesome you mean," Ray said, raising an eyebrow at the poster, "It's so shiny, I think it wants to be noticed by the whole world."

"Pretty much." Kai shrugged, "I thought you guys might wanna have a look."

"Well, it's a tournament, it's Beyblading, it's a good chance to practice our skills, why not enter?" Tyson said, smiling.

"That's what I thought," Kai smirked, "That's why I've put us down as contestants."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"A tournament?" Damien said, "Seriously?"

Ember nodded.

"Well," Rally grinned, "It looks like our week just got a lot more interesting."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

AN: Very interesting indeed -evil grin-

SNEAK PEEK OF CHAPTER 3

_Max wolf-whistled._

_Ray raised an eyebrow, hopping down a branch to get a better look._

_"Damn!" Ray said, smriking evilly, "If that's not practicing hotness, I don't know WHAT is!"_

AN: I am feeling EXHAUSTED-11.45pm XX Anyway, I'll update tomorrow as usual -yawns-

Tyrila Anios xxx


	4. Chapter 3: Practicing Hotness

Disclaimer: Don't own beyblade, just story and OCs.

DIE DISCLAIMER DIE!

Song For This Chapter: Incredible-Shapeshifters

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

**Chapter 3-Practicing Hotness**

**E**mber felt a little left out of it all. She really did at times.

Sighing and looking down at her blade, thoughts ran through her mind. She didn't know what kind of thoughts. Sometimes...she felt that these weren't her own thoughts, but Flare's. At first, she had rejected the idea, especially when she first got Flare. But now, she had come to accept the idea, as if it were a fact of life. She would say that the theory was true as easily as she would have said that the grass was green.

Or the sky was blue for that matter.

She looked up and watched as Damien and Trixie trained for the tournament, their blades slamming against one anothers, each one boosting their power, it seemed, with each shot.

Casting her gaze over to Rally, she watched as the young blader feverishly polished her blade. Walking over to her, she cast a shadow over the patch of ground Rally was sitting on.

"You know," Ember said, catching Rally by suprise, "You aren't going to win the tournament for the shinyness of your blade."

"I know," Rally sighed, "It comforts me, that's all."

Raising an eyebrow, Ember sat down next to Rally.

"What's wrong?" Ember asked.

"Well..." Rally faltered, then took it up again, "It's just that I'm scared what will happen."

"What's going to happen?"

"I'm scared that I'll lose and look like a complete dork in front of everybody."

Ember looked at the ground. She knew how Rally felt. When she'd lost her first match in front of the rest of the orphanage, she'd been devastated. She had never felt failure before, and tasting it then felt so horrible. But with each victory, that memory had only become more and more embedded in her mind.

Getting up, Ember looked out to the river.

"Rally."

"What is it Ember?"

"Remember my first match?"

"All too clearly."

"I learnt then what failure tastes like. It tastes horrible. I can understand what you're saying. But there's truth in the web of lies-failure is always going to come and get you one day. It got me my first time, and I'll never forget that. But you know, when you taste victory, it tastes so sweet you never want to forget it. That's what keeps me going on hard days, Rally. The thought that being victorious will once again taste as sweet as the first time. I live for winning. Sometimes it's all that matters to me."

Rally was startled. Never had she known her friend to be so deep before. To her and everyone else, Ember had been such a warm, inviting person. But this was changing her view of Ember. Ember had guts in there, guts that would take her to the top one day, she was sure of it. Ember was destined to be the best, no matter what.

"Hey Ember!" Damien yelled.

Opening her eyes, Ember turned around.

"Yeah Damien?"

"Your turn."

"Awesome," Ember smiled. And with that smile came the fire of battle to her eyes.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"I...canNOT...believe him!"

Ray nodded, gasping for air. Kai had sent him and Max running, and was making them do an entire course of the city before lunch.

"Me too, Max."

Ruffling his hair, Max wiped his brow, then sat down on the ground.

"Sometimes I think that he likes to make us suffer." Max said thoughtfully.

"Hell yeah," Ray said, grinning, "It's like he's Satan."

"More like the Ice King," Max groaned, "He's so cold and heartless it scares me."

Ray only nodded.

Several minutes of silence followed this, in which a bird came and perched on a branch near to them.

"You know what Kai needs?"

"What?" Ray replied.

"A girlfriend."

Ray burst out laughing.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"Come on Blackshot!"

"Take him down, Flare!"

The heated battle was getting even more heated by the minute. It was Damien vs Ember, and neither seemed to be caving.

"That's it, Blackshot! One more push!"

Blackshot spun quickly towards Flare, leaning forward so much that the tip of the attack ring grazed the bottom of the dish.

Shooting out of the way at the last second, Flare did an about-turn and rammed into the back of Blackshot.

Spinning off course wildly, Blackshot spun like a maniac, wobbling madly, until barely seconds later, a blow from Flare took its toll.

Blackshot was sent spinning out of the dish, landing on the nearby ground.

"AAAAAAND the winner is EMBER!" Trixie announced loudly.

Grinning crazily, Ember shut her eyes and let the feeling of victory seep through her veins. It gave her more strength, powering her body, but at the same time relaxing it. Her heart sped up as the adrenaline rushed through her.

"Oh COME ON!" Damien whined, snapping Ember out of her victory trance, "I DEMAND A REMATCH!"

Sighing, Ember loaded Flare back into its launcher.

"Okay," she said, the grin returning, "But I warn you-you're just going to get your butt kicked."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Ray wandered along the path with Max, taking in the refreshing air. They had both come to the modest conclusion that there was NO WAY they were going to complete the course before lunchtime, so they had decided to say they had completed the course and hope that Kai didn't sniff out their all-too-obvious lie. Which was pretty unlikley, as Kai was a walking lie detector.

"Oh well," Max had said, "If he makes us run fifty laps, I couldn't care less, as long as we get home before chow."

Ray had heartily seconded the motion.

Shutting his eyes, he imagined battling and winning a tournament match, and being claimed as the sole victor...

His dream came to life, apparently, as he heard the noises of a battle nearby.

"Wait a minute," he said abruptly, putting his arm in front of Max. So abruptly, in fact, that Max walked into his arm and fell over.

"I hear something," Ray said, gazing into the nearby trees.

"That's all well and good, Ray, but WARN ME NEXT TIME!"

Ignoring Max, Ray pushed through the bushes, getting closer to the place where the noise was coming from. Hopping into a nearby tree, he gazed over the scene below him.

"What is it?" Max gasped, scrambling up the trunk of the tree.

Ray raised an eyebrow, then motioned for Max to come closer.

"Check it oooout," he smiled, a mad grin coming to his face.

Max looked down below and he could see quite clearly what Ray was smiling at. He could very clearly see 3 extremley attractive girls below, two of them cheering, another one in a beybattle.

"Well helloooooo!" he said.

He first looked to the black haired girl, who looked pretty hot, he had to admit. Her black hair was tied back by a pink bow, while she wore a pink figure-hugging vest shirt and combat trousers. The second was a girl with blonde hair, wearing a white vest and a blue skirt. The third, and probably the most hot of them all, was a redhead with long hair tied back into a ponytail. A denim V-necked vest that was cut off at the stomach was on her top half, while on her bottom half was a pair of black trousers. Blue eyes shone fiercley in their sockets as she battled, each blow promoting a stream of fire in her eyes.

Max wolf whistled.

Ray raised an eyebrow, hopping down to the lowest branch to get a closer look.

"Damn!" Ray said, smirking evilly, "If that's not practicing hotness, I don't know WHAT is!"

"Heartily agree with you there," Max smiled.

After several minutes watching them, Ray noticed something. The girl who was battling was using a crimson blade. The SAME crimson blade, unless he was mistaken, as the girl's blade who had broken up their fight a few weeks ago. Thinking back to it, he was sure the girl had had red hair just like hers. And those eyes...

"YES! I AM FREAKING GOD!" came the yell of the redhead below.

"OH WHAT?" the black haired boy she had been battling yelled.

"LOSER!" The blonde screamed gleefully.

"Sweet!" the black haired girl smiled.

"Just like they said," the redhead smiled, "You're a loser."

Something clicked in Ray's mind.

The voice.

It was the same voice.

It was the same hair.

It was the same eyes.

It was the same blade.

IT WAS THE SAME PERSON.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

AN: CLIFFY! -gets tomatoes and various objects thrown at her- I KNOW! Now stop throwing them!

SNEAK PEEK-

"I think you two have been in the sun too long."

"OH COME ON KAI!" Max yelled.

"It was her! I KNOW it was her!" Ray shrieked, loud enough for people to hear a block away.

AN: Aren't I evil? Yes, I am aware I have not updated in a while. Despite that fact that it's one in the morning, this chapter was actually quite fun to write. Especially the battle part :)

See ya!

Tyrila Anios xxx (PS: The next chapter will be up by tommorow morning, I swear.)


	5. Chapter 4: Tournament Fun

I know you all hate me for leaving the story at a cliffy last time, but I was tired and wanted to go to bed. Just a heads up, I've planned chapter 1-15, and the fanfic should be...what? 30 chapters long? Maybe more. I dunno.

Disclaimer: I don't own beyblade, otherwise I would be in it :) Also only own OCs and story.

Song For This Chapter: You Got The Love - The Source

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

**Chapter 4-Tournament Fun**

**T**he day dragged on slowly for Kai. He'd been practicing his launch, but he couldn't really concentrate. He wasn't always like this before a match, it only usually struck if there was a niggling thought in his mind.

He knew what the niggling thought was.

That girl that beat Ray and Max.

At first, he'd dismissed it, but now he was starting to wonder. Kai knew that there was hardly anyone who could beat Ray and Max-let alone someone who could beat them that fast. If the girl could beat them so fast...

_How long would I last? _Kai wondered.

"KAI!" yelled a familiar voice.

Raising an eyebrow, Kai turned around to see a panting Ray dragging an exhausted Max along in the dust. Surveying the scene with a slightly interested eye, he looked to Ray and sighed.

"What is it?" Kai asked huffily.

"You...are...NEVER...going to believe this Kai!" Ray gasped.

"Believe what?" Kai muttered.

"It was...her..."

Kai had started to become disinterested, but now the mention of the girl peaked his interest again.

"Who her?" he said casually.

Max facepalmed.

"Don't act stupid, Kai. You know perfectly well who we are talking about." Max sighed.

"Well, who is it then?"

Ray fell over anime style, then was on his feet again in a flash.

"THE. GIRL. FROM. THE. ALLEYWAY." Ray said, his voice growing in anger.

Kai grinned inwardly. _Damn, _he thought, _I love torturing him._

"Oh," he said, as if he had suddenly relised something, but with a sarcastic ring to it, "That girl?"

Ray was just about ready to punch him when Tyson and Hilary rounded the corner into the dojo.

"What's going on?" Tyson asked.

Ray, who was ready to explode, tried to tackle Tyson. Tried to. Kai elbowed him in the stomach, sending him onto the floor, winded.

"Ray and Max here say they saw the girl from the alleyway again."

"Oh," Tyson said, then grinning madly, added, "The one Kai called 'chick'?"

Kai glared at him.

"Really," Kai said loudly, "And where, may I ask, have you and Hilary been ALL DAY?"

Tyson turned about 8 different shades of red.

"N-never mind that right now," Hilary said, blushing also.

"Whatever," Kai muttered, but gave Tyson a look which told him that Kai was NEVER going to let him live this down.

"Hey guys!" Kenny said brightly from the entrance to the dojo, "What's up?"

"GOD. DAMMIT!" Ray yelled from the ground.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"Well here we are guys. The Dynamite Dome." Rally said, smiling.

Looking up at it, Damien was in awe. This place was far bigger than what he was used to back in his home town. Back there, there was only a small warehouse used for tournaments, and that was if they were lucky. This place was HUGE. The main building, which consisted mainly of large blocks of tinted glass, shined gently in the sunlight. The midday sun reflected beautifully, giving the building's glass dome a look of pure perfection. He couldn't come up with more words to describe it.

"Hellooo? Damien?" Trixie said, snapping her fingers in front of his eyes

"I think we lost him..." Ember muttered.

"Wha?" Damien mumbled incoherently, rubbing his brown eyes sleepily.

"Oh look, it lives!" Rally teased.

"Shaddup, Rally." Damien grumbled.

"Guys are SO pathetic," Trixie moaned.

"Yeah!" Rally and Ember both yipped in unison.

"Great," Damien snarled, "Sexism by my teamates. Glee."

Ember rolled her eyes, then beckoned for the girls to follow her.

"Oh you keep on walkin' girlies! Woo berries and GLEE! I am being offended for being of the male gender! What's next? A sexism cult for girls?"

"Damien, get your butt in here!" Rally yelled.

"Oh no!" Damien shouted, "I DO NOT TAKE ORDERS FROM GIRLS!"

"Damien!" Ember said irritably, "In. Now."

"Yes m'am." Damien mumbled meekly, running in.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"OKAY!" yelled Brad Best, "Time to get the Summer Dynamite Dome Tournament UNDERWAY!"

"You said it Brad!" Chet said.

"Let's see who we've got up first, Chet-let's look at the two competing teams!"

"The first team is a rather unknown team could Nights-they're new at this, I suppose."

"The team they're fighting is Team Dragoness! They're not very well known either, though I hear they're very tough!"

"Well, let's hope the other team is as tough as Team D, or they're in trouble!"

"Okay!" Brad shouted, "Enough of boring you all with team ratings, let's start the battle!"

The crowd cheered so loudly Ember could swear that her ears were popping.

"First is Rally Telton versus Harry Banks!"

Ember smiled as she watched her blonde friend walk towards the dish, blade in hand, smiling at her opponent. Harry looked pretty nervous.

_He should be, _she thought.

"3...2...1...LET I RIP!"

"Go Diliaz!" Rally yelled, "Take him down!"

"Let's go!" Harry shouted.

The blades landed in the dish and the battle officialy began. The power of Diliaz was shocking to Harry-within seconds she'd forced him to the brink, and then-

"It looks like Rally is the winner!" Chet yelled excitedly.

_Figures, _Ember thought, smirking.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"So how far are we into the tournament Ray?" Max asked as they walked down the metal corridor.

"5th round Max. We keep going at this rate, we'll be at the finals in no time."

"Awesome," Max said, smiling.

They walked on for several minutes in silence.

"Max?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you ever wonder what happened to that girl we saw?"

"Sometimes man. I think she may have been entered in the tournament. Probably got knocked out in the early rounds though."

"Ah. Hey, do you think we should go back to the dish? See if Kai's become victourious again?"

"Sure," Max smiled, "This way."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"AAAAAAAND THE WINNER IS EMBER!"

Grinning broadly, Ember looked across at the other teams members. They were all sitting on the floor, blubbing.

"Pathetic," she muttered.

Turning round and walking down the steps, all of her teams mates glomped her.

"GUYS!"

Rally and Trixie were laughing happily.

"I can't believe we're the block CHAMPIONS!" Damien laughed.

"That means we go against the champions from block A, right?" Rally asked through giggles.

"Yup," Ember grinned.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS, WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS!"

"Please stop singing Max." Kai groaned.

"WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS!"

"Please stop."

"WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS!"

"STOP."

"WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS! WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS!"

"I SAID STOP DAMMIT!"

"..."

"That's better."

"...WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS!"

"SHUT! THE! FUCK! UP!"

Ray laughed as he watched Kai run around and around, desperatley trying to silence Max. To almost no avail, until Max got bored of singing, and trotted off to sit next to Ray. Meanwhile, Kai lay slumped on the ground, exhausted.

"Besides, Max," Ray said, "We're only the champions of Block A. We have to beat one more team before we can REALLY be champions."

"What do you think I should wear for our victory party? Blue or red?" Tyson asked.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"Okay."

Ember and the others were sitting down in the dressing room.

"Team," Ember barked, acting like an army general, "The war against the enemy will be tough. Some of you may not come back alive."

"Shut up Ember," Damien moaned, "This is just IRRITATING."

Grunting irritably, muttering that his death would not be pleasent, she sat down huffily on the bench.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"IT'S FINALLY TIME TO INTRODUCE OUR TEAMS!" Brad Best yelled to the cheering crowd.

"In the right wing, we have the world champions, returning to whip these guys to hell and back-The BLADEBREAKERS!"

Tyson grinned manically as they walked onto the pitch. Max smiled and waved at the crowd. Ray laughed and waved too. Kai simply looked around before smiling slightly.

_Wow, _Kai thought, _We're here. And still no sign of those girls Ray was talking about. Guess they got knocked out after all..._

"And in the left wing, we have the first time tournament team! They're unknown, so how they've survived is beyond me! Let me introduce them-ONE BY ONE!"

The crowd shrieked as they waited for the team.

"First up-DAMIEN TARNOL!"

A black haired boy appeared at the doorway to the stadium, and walked slowly in. He was wearing a red shirt with blue pants, and had a blue bandana on. His blue eyes flashed mysteriously as he smiled at the crowd and the Bladebreakers.

"Second-Trixie Gard!"

A 15 year old girl walked in, smiling at the Bladebreakers also. Her black hair was tied up by a pink headband, and she wore red pants and a black shirt.

"Third now-Rally Telton!"

Rally ran in, smiling at all the fans. Her blonde hair was flying loose. She wore a pink shirt and pink combats.

"And last, but not least-"

Meanwhile, Ray was growing more and more apprehensive. He was sure these were the girls he had seen-then again, maybe not. They could just be people who looked eerily simalir. Maybe.

"EMBER MAKOTINA!"

A redhead flowed onto the pitch like lightning from the platform above. Landing softly, the crowd fell into a deadly hush, as they waited for her to get up.

She got up.

_IT'S HER. _Ray thought.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"I think you two have been in the sun too much."

"OH COME ON KAI!" Max yelled.

"IT WAS HER! I KNOW IT WAS HER!" Ray shrieked, loud enough for people to hear a block away.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

AN: Another cliffy? ZOUNDS AND TRIBULATION! WHAT SHALL BE DONE?

Preview Of Chapter 5-

_"I don't believe it." Ray breathed._

_All Max could do was stand and stare in shock._

_Kai stood his ground, facing the girl in front of him with ice-cold grey eyes._

AN: Yes, I know this chapter is late...GOD IT'S LONG collapses Don't think I'll be doing another one that's this long in a LOOOONG time. Hmm. Irony.

Tyrila Anios xxx


	6. Chapter 5: Unusual Opponents

Disclaimer - DO NOT OWN BEYBLADE, BUT DO OWN OCS AND STORY.

Song For This Chapter: Do Somethin' - Britney Spears

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

**Chapter 5 - Unusual Opponents**

**"I **do not believe this!" Ray raged, "You saw her!"

"That I did," Kai said, nodding slowly, but only you and Max know what happened in the alley. I'm afraid I can't trust anything you say until we can interview her."

-o-o-o-o-

First matches in the finals were always very tense.

Then again, so were all the other matches.

It was a matter of win or lose. Winner and loser. Champion and reject. Both sides had their pitfalls, but in the end, to win was to be recognised as great. To lose was to be branded a hero who tried, but failed in the end. Neither was great, but neither was bad. Everything was so hard in wars like these. To battle and win or to battle and lose. Winning isn't everything, but if you try with all your might, you will always win.

That meant a lot to Ember.

People like Rally, however, didn't need that kind of thing. Rally would usually just go in with all engines gunning, and hope something good came out of it all. And usually, it did.

Max seemed not like that at all.

As she faced him, Rally looked into his eyes. She could see that Max was a defensive person in blading.

_Perfect._

The dish stood before them, shining slightly. It had been recently cleaned for the match, and it was almost a shame to think that they could ruin it. Almost.

Rally blocked out all the noise around her. This was about focus. She had to focus. Focus. Focus. Focus.

Great, now she'd forgotten what the word meant.

-o-o-o-o-o-

Max was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. He wasn't a good choice for the finals, but Tyson had insisted.

Max wasn't just nervous.

Close to wetting himself was more like it.

And he really didn't want to do that in front of 2 million people. Not to mention Emily...

He found himself blushing furiously. Why did he do that every time he thought of her? Gawd, it wasn't as if he LIKED liked her or anything...

On the other hand...

Max quickly dismissed his thoughts as random ramblings, and focused on the task at hand.

-o-o-o-o-o-

"ARE YOU READY BLADERS?" Brad yelled at the top of his voice.

The bladers simply stared at each other.

"Well, even if you aren't, it's time to start the battle!"

"3!"

"2!"

"1!"

"LET IT RIP!" Rally and Max yelled at once, launching their blades and slamming them into the dish. The ferocity of the launch sent both blades smashing into each other. Draciel spun off course for a second, before ramming back into Farilo. Farilo did the same as Draciel, then spun back into the feud.

Draciel smashed into the side of the dish, wobbling furiously, threatening to stop spinning.

Max held his breath.

Getting back its balance, Draciel spun after Farilo.

Sighing deeply, Max ordered an attack.

Dodging it quick and easy, Draciel slammed into Farilo one more time...

-o-o-o-o-o-

Max walked into the dressing room, staring straight ahead of him. Ray looked up.

"What's wrong Max?"

At this Kai opened his eyes and looked too.

"Max?" Ray said.

Max walked shakily into the room, sitting down.

"What is it Max?" Hilary stuttered, "Y-you're scaring me..."

"I lost."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Looking over at the way Max had went, Rally felt bad. Max could have beaten her. But she had triumphed. He must have been humiliated in front of all these people.

That reminded her all too much of Ember.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"I'm here to regain Max's confidence."

Damien looked over to where Ray was standing.

"Really?" Damien asked.

"Yes."

"Ever wonder what it's like to lose?" Damien said.

Ray remained silent.

"You're about to find out."

-o-o-o-o-o-

"RAY IS THE WINNER EVERYBODY!"

Damien looked at the dish, then at his blade. It had been a good match, and he was proud to have fought one of the bladebreakers. He may not have been able to beat Ray...but it was his pleasure to fight one of a champion team.

"Hey Tarnol!"

Damien looked up and noticed Ray in the dish, having just picked up his blade.

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for a good match."

Damien grinned. This just added to his feeling of pleasure.

-o-o-o-o-o-

"Who are you going up against in the final Kai?" Tyson asked.

"Don't know, don't care."

Rolling his eyes, Tyson turned back to his magazine, while Kai's thoughts travelled to the other team...

-o-o-o-o-o-

"Ya did your best Damien," Rally sympathised, "And I'm proud of you," she smiled, giving him a big hug.

"T-thanks," Damien stammered, blushing violently.

Ember smirked periodically.

_Love, _her tough side thought,

_It's for the weak._

-o-o-o-o-o-

"I don't believe it." Ray breathed.

All Max could do was stand and stare in shock.

Kai stood his ground, facing the red-headed girl in front of him with ice-cold grey eyes.

-o-o-o-o-

AN: OMG CLIFFY AGAIN. THIS HAS TO STOP.

Sorry for the late chappie, but I thank God it's done. Torture to type, thanks to a cut on my hand :(

SNEAK PEEK

_"Ready to lose?" Ember smirked._

_"I don't lose," Kai growled._

AN: Next chapter up by...I think Tuesday. Maybe tommorow if I work hard and ignore the splitting pain in my hand.

Tyrila Anios xxx


	7. Chapter 6: Battle For The Title

Disclaimer: Don't own Beyblade. Pretty obvious. Only own story and OCs.

Song For This Chapter: Sugar We're Going Down - Fall Out Boy

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

**Chapter 6 - Battle For The Title**

**"T**his is insane," Max breathed.

"Too right..." Ray replied shakily.

Of all people, Ray had suspected that it would have been one of the others, like Trixie. But Ember? This was madness. They were both the leaders of their teams, so it was a stand off. Defending their teams, each saying that theirs was the best. They'd have to beat each other to prove it...

The tension rose in the room. Everything was deathly quiet.

Neither of the two bladers spoke. Caught in a staring match, Ember's beautiful cerulean blue eyes locked with Kai's silver ones.

One could have heard a pin drop before Ember spoke up.

"So," she snapped irritably, "you're the leader of this pathetic bunch, are you?"

A vein throbbed in Kai's temple.

"Are you sure you're not speaking about YOUR team?" he retaliated.

"Wise guy, huh?"

"You have no idea," Max muttered.

"Shut up Max," Ray said, "I don't think we should get involved."

"Wha-? Why?"

"Because," Ray said darkly, "These two aren't exactly going to go easy on each other, now are they?"

"True..."

Everything was silent once more.

"OH WILL YOU TWO JUST GET ON WITH IT?" an enraged Tyson yelled.

Both Ember and Kai's heads snapped round.

"SHUT THE HELL UP!" they yelled in unison.

"What the..." Max mumbled, sweatdropping.

"How did they just do that?" Hilary asked.

"Telepathy?" Tyson grunted, irate now, "Both of 'em could be psychic or something."

"Um...I think it's time we started the battle..." the announcer stammered, obviously not wanting to get invloved in the screaming match that was going on.

"Finally," Kai growled, "I was getting bored."

"Oh really? That makes two." Ember snarled.

"Er, can you please start the match?" Kenny asked the announcer timidly, "Before they kill each other?"

"Okay. BLADERS ARE YOU READY?"

"Ready? I was born ready." Kai muttered.

They positioned their blades.

"Ready to lose?" Ember smirked.

"I don't lose," Kai growled.

"3, 2, 1..."

Ember shut one eye.

Kai did the same.

"LET IT RIP!"

The blades smashed into the dish, with the force of a thousand storms. They smashed their way into each other, fighting their fiercest, taking each other apart peice by peice...

-o-o-o-o-o-

The battle was getting really heated now. It seemed that neither side wanted to give in, which was of course true.

"GOD DAMMIT!" Ember yelled angrily. Kai had just sent Flare to near the edge of the dish.

_Come on Flare..._

Flare zoomed back in and smacked Dranzer head on.

Dranzer retailiated quickly spinning several times around Flare to confuse Ember, then slamming into Flare from the side.

_This guy is tougher than he looks, _Ember thought, then she thought: _IMPURE THOUGHTS!_

-o-o-o-o-o-

Ember was good, Kai would admit that.

But he was better.

He was sure.

He was sure, right?

Kai wiped some sweat off his brow, sighing deeply. This girl was tough. She didn't give in after the first barrage of attacks, and had simply responded with a barrage of her own. It seemed that no matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't get rid of her.

_She can't beat me, _he thought, _I'm a champion!_

Still, though, Ember was one of the toughest opponents he'd ever faced. He knew she wouldn't have been a pushover from when he laid eyes on her...she had a distinctive aura that seemed to say: "Hey! I can beat you no matter what!" Her determination shined through, and that was rare for a girl blader. Girl bladers were rare in themselves-they were often more interested in clothes and things. Maybe she was a pushover and he was just going light on her...

_IMPURE THOUGHTS! _his mind screamed.

Maybe she was a pushover.

Maybe she wasn't.

But he was going to find out alright.

_Pushover or not,_ Kai thought desperatley,_ I will beat her._

-o-o-o-o-o-

Overviewing the battle, Tyson was worried for Kai's health. It seemed as if with every blow, pain was inflicted upon him. The same seemed to apply for Ember. She was like a mirror image of him-powerful, a little sarcastic as he'd seen from the dispute, and very determined in whatever she did. She seemed as determined as Kai that she would beat him. Kai seemed just as determined to beat her. This was going to be interesting...

-o-o-o-o-o-

Her legs were sore, not only from standing up for about 3 hours, but from being constantly on the side blast of Dranzer's fire attacks. Most of it hit Flare, but she felt some of Flare's pain. It was if they were connected...

-o-o-o-o-o-

His legs were sore, not only from standing up for about 3 hours, but from being constantly on the side blast of Flare's dragon attacks. Most of it hit Dranzer but he felt some of Dranzer's pain. It was if they were connected...

-o-o-o-o-o-

"ONE LAST ATTACK, FLARE!"

"ONE MORE TIME DRANZER!"

As the blades slammed into each other and the beasts locked in battle once again, white light exploded everywhere...

-o-o-o-o-o-

"What's happening?" Ray coughed.

Smoke was everywhere in the stadium. It was impossible to see the dish, so no-one knew what was going on.

Finally the smoke cleared enough for them to see the two bladers. Both of them looked exhausted, near to fainting. Ember was swaying on her feet, while Kai was sunk on his knees, pain shooting through his body.

"Oh my god..." Max gasped, "Kai! He's hurt!"

"We can all see that Max! But we can't get invloved! We have to wait..."

The smoke cleared...

Neither blader was concious.

Both blades lay in the dish, unmoving.

-o-o-o-o-o-

AN: SORRY SORRY SORRY FOR THE TREMENDOUS LATENESSSSSSS!

Sneak Peek Of Chapter 7-

Kai felt as if the world had collapsed around him...

Ember looked on at the scene in front of her, shocked at the outcome of the battle.

AN: I'll update soon. PLZ DON'T HURT ME! I WILL UPDATE BY SUNDAY! OR SATURDAY!

Also, sorry again for the crappiness of this chapter O.o;;

Tyrila Anios xxx


	8. Chapter 7: Painfully Accused

AN: I can't believe I got two reviews so quick...o.O Keep the love comin'!

Disclaimer: Love this chapter's song -dances- (Don't own Beyblade, just own OCs and plot and story)

Song For This Chapter: I Try-Lifehouse

-o-o-o-o-o-

**Chapter 7 - Painfully Accused**

"N-no winner?" the announcer stammered, in serious shock. So was half the world, it seemed...

It was so silent that Ray could swear that a leaf had hit the ground 500 meters away.

Yeah, that quiet.

Everyone just...stared. There was no words to describe the situation, apart from the eerie silence that filled the air. Across the world it was pretty much the same. Everyone was watching in silence. Everything was silent. Even parties had stopped across the globe because they couldn't believe it.

The great Kai Hiwatari.

The great Kai Hiwatari had drawn with a girl.

A girl.

**A girl.**

_**A GIRL.**_

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

He couldn't feel anything. That was the best way to describe it. His body was just numb. There was no pain, no hurting any more.

_Maybe I'm dead._

He dismissed these thoughts as insane ramblings immediatly. After all, there was logic to take into count. Number 1-How could he think if he was dead. Wouldn't that mean his brain would still be working, and therefore technically alive? Number 2-The sensation of pain was starting to return to his body. He couldn't feel anything if he was dead now could he? And number 3-he could hear his heart beating.

He couldn't think any further than that. He was just feeling...too...weird to think any more.

He just lay there, allowing his subconscience to drift. This bliss was not to last long, however. Soon enough, pain started to rack his body. His head pounded with the force of someone hammering at his skull with a sledgehammer. He felt small traces of blood dribble down his face.

_Huh, _he thought, _Blood. How did I start bleeding?_

He pondered this for a moment.

_Oh yeah, the battle._

His eyes shot open.

_THE BATTLE!_

He desperatley tried to get up immediatley, but was forced back down again as pain smashed into his head like a train. He yelled in pain and collapsed back on the floor.

Then he heard voices.

"Kai!" That sounded like Hilary.

"Are you okay man?" He knew that was Ray.

"Come on Kai, speak to us, please!" Kenny. DEFINTLEY Kenny.

"You alright? Say if you're alright!" Hmm...Tyson. He could tell.

"...K-Kai?" Max. He'd recognise that nervous stutter anywhere.

In pain, but alive, Kai slowly sat up, gritting his teeth hard against the pain that nearly crumpled his body.

"Thank god you're alive..." Hilary sobbed.

"Well, I wouldn't exactly THANK God right now...I'm pretty sure he got me into this," Kai groaned.

Hilary laughed nervously.

"Don't joke about this Kai," Ray said sternly, "You nearly got killed out there!"

"I know, I know..."

A short silence.

"The battle!" Kai yelped, remembering, "What about the battle? What happened? I don't remember anything about it!"

"Well," Ray faltered quakily, "You aren't going to like this. You aren't going to like it at all."

"Wha?"

Kai was dazed, confused. He didn't know what was going on, and he didn't know what Ray was talking about, even though he was sure he had asked the question. Rubbing his head with one hand, he got up, gritting his teeth against the pain, trying to figure out what could have caused his forgetfulness. Amnesia? Probably.

Everything was again silent for a short time.

Then he heard a yell from the other side of the stadium.

"EMBER!"

Whirling around, he looked over to where the other contestant, Ember, was supposed to be standing. Supposed to be.

Ember lay on the floor, crumpled and still as death.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Her head pounded ruthlessly. She tried to get away from it, but it smashed the wall between her concious mind and her subconcious. Her thoughts hurt even more, confusion and questions swirling in her mind. The pain slowly faded. She once again slipped out of the concious realm and became unconcious for what felt like the 50th time. And it was.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Kai just stood there. She was hurt? He'd hurt a girl?

Everyone just looked at Kai, who stared at Ember for what seemed like an eternity. At least to him.

Finally, something inside him snapped.

"Kai? Where are you going?" Max yelled.

Kai wasn't listening. He just ran over to where the girl's crumpled body lay, kneeling down in front of her when he reached her.

He was shocked at the extent of the damage. Blood oozed out of multiple scratches on her arms, stomach, hands and head. Her long red hair was sticky in someparts with spattered blood. She was heavily bruised, her clothes ripped and torn. In one place, half her trouser leg was ripped off completley. She looked unconcious-that was good, that way she'd feel no pain.

His eyes welled up with tears. How could he have done this? He was supposed to be a man-all he felt like was a scrawny cowardly shrimp. He'd let his determination get in the way of his sense for justice.

Rally came down next to him and gently shook Ember.

"Wake up..." she whispered, barely audiable even to Kai, who was right next to her.

No answer from Ember. She still lay, motionless and cold, on the hard floor.

"She-she can't be..." Rally mumbled, getting up.

Everyone looked at Rally. She had tears on her face and her arms were trembling.

She started to sob.

Then it became a mournful wailing.

Damien ran next to her and held her close. She started to sob into his jacket, the cloth barely covering the noise of her call of pain.

"I-it's okay Rally..." Damien mumbled tears forming in his eyes.

"I-i-it's not okay! Gluh...sh-she's DEAD!"

Everyone was quiet. Kai especially. His eyes were wide, staring at Ember...no...the BODY in front of him.

_I couldn't of..._

But he had.

The silence continued, as if there was nothing more in the universe. Time seemed to freeze for Kai. The tears on Rally's face, the shock on the face of the crowd. The feeling of utter entrapment slowly engulfing his heart...

"You."

Kai whipped around.

"M-me?" he stammered, his voice trembling, the shock still sinking in.

"You."

Trixie was staring at the ground, her long hair curling around her elbows. Her eyes were hidden by her hair, but Kai could clearly see the tear trails all down her cheeks. She was obviously as shaken as Rally was.

She began to walk towards him.

Kai took none of it in until she punched him in the face. Hard.

Pain shot through Kai as he yelled to the heavens before collapsing on the ground near Ember. He was still concious, he blamed God for that, and right then he wished he was dead too.

He got up slowly, turning to face the girl.

Trixie said nothing at all. She simply looked at him. And for Kai, it was like she was screaming at him with her big blue eyes; _YOU KILLED HER! YOU FREAKING KILLED HER! YOU'RE A MURDERER! _

Somehow, Kai felt she was still alive.

He didn't know how, it just...felt that he could hear what she was thinking. What she was feeling...how she was, and he just knew, simply knew, that she was alive.

Kai quickly shook himself out of Trixie's stare and checked her pulse. As his hand touched hers as he held it before checking, he felt a blush rising to his cheeks for some inane reason. Shaking it off, he double-checked it.

"It's there," he said, "Barely, but it's better than nothing."

A collective sigh ran through the group that had surrounded them.

"Is she breathing?" Max asked, having caught up with Kai.

"I don't know..." Kai muttered, leaning over Ember and putting his face close to hers...

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Ember was in pain. She knew that much.

She could feel the blood trickling down her neck from a wound just under her chin, and was now beggining to regain conciousness again. She'd been like this for what seemed like eternity. Slipping in and out of conciousness was exhausting her, as if she needed any more help with that. She just wanted to fall into an eternal sleep to stop the pain...

She felt a pair of hands shake her.

_Go away, _she moaned in her head, _I'm trying to sleep..._

The hands were removed, and replaced with the sounds of gentle sobbing.

_What?_

Did they think she was dead or something?

The sobbing became wailing.

_...yep._

She let her thoughts fill her head, then she heard some more voices. She could barely understand what they were saying, but she knew it was her team who was talking.

"I-it's okay Rally..." Damien's shaky voice reverbrated through her head.

"I-i-it's not okay! Gluh...sh-she's DEAD!"

An uncomfortable silence.

"You."

That was Trixie, all right. But...who was she talking to? Maybe it was the paramedics...but then again, she hadn't heard any sirens.

So, there was the hospital theory out the window.

So WHO was she speaking to?

"M-me?" stammered a male voice. The voice was deep and startled by Trixie speaking up.

"You."

She heard footsteps.

_What's going on?_

All of a sudden, she heard a whip of air and a shriek of pain from the boy. He obviously collapsed nearby.

Silence.

Then she felt a hand on hers. It was warm, but she could somehow...feel something. It was if whoever was holding her hand was in huge amounts of physical pain too. There was no-one else here who could have sustained such bodily injuries, and recently. None she knew of, except...

_Him?_

She couldn't believe it. The teenager who'd been so adamant on defeating her was now next to her, holding her hand, as if to say that it would be alright. She wanted to jerk away, scream at him, but...for some reason she couldn't. Not because of her fainting-it just didn't seem right. Something funky was going on, and she didn't have the slightest clue WHAT.

She felt two fingers, obviously of the boy's again, press gently against her wrist, to check her pulse.

_I HAVE ONE! _Ember wanted to yell, _I'm alive! Tell everybody that I'm alive! _

But she couldn't yell. Not in this state...

"She's alive..." she heard a shaken and releived male voice say as the boy got up.

A collective sigh rushed through the group.

Rally stopped sobbing, and started crying with joy.

"Is she breathing?" a boy, obviously a bit younger, asked.

"I don't know..." came a mutter from the boy.

She then felt someone's presence very close to her. So close they were almost touching. She could feel the warmth of their body, so close she could feel their breath on her face, and their fingers run through her hair...

_Who is it? _she thought.

She tried to open her eyes. She failed.

_God dammit Ember, try again!_

She tried. And succeded in opening them slightly.

She couldn't make out much, all she could see was light...opening her eyes a bit more, she now saw a pair of eyes. Still no colour or real shape yet...

Opening her eyes ever more, she now could make out a shape, a tear-stained face. She could see blue hair...and grey eyes. The eyes looked so sad...like they had just seen someone they loved died.

Raising her hand to her face, she rubbed her eyes gently and focused once again.

Now she could see blue paint streaked across the side of the boy's cheeks, for she was sure it was a boy for some reason. He also seemed to be...blushing?

_What the hell?_

Blinking several more times, her eyes focused to normal vision.

Kai.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Ember shrieked in shock. Kai yelled too, scrambling away as fast as his body would take him. She looked over to him, and saw a blushing, terrified, hurt, quivering teenager with misty-grey eyes and blue facepaint.

All was quiet.

Then, she suddenly felt Rally hugging her tightly, as if never wanting to let her go. She was sobbing madly, tears stains soaking her shirt, and annoyingly enough, Ember's.

"Rally?"

"I-I-tht-though you DIED!" Rally wailed loudly.

"It's okay, Rally! I'm alright! Everything's fine!"

"No it's not! You scared me!"

"I scared myself for a minute there," Ember chuckled weakly.

She was then enveloped in her teammates' arms, tears everywhere. Ember herself started to cry, not just from being happy to see her team, but because her team was pressing on some of her wunds, and it was starting to REALLY hurt...

"Okay! I get it! You guys are happy to see me alive!"

They got off of her, allowing Ember to regain her breath. Meanwhile, she looked over at Kai. His teammates were helping him up, Kai groaning and rubbing his hair and head with one hand.

Smiling briefly at the dazed teen, she then glanced over towards the dish.

She was in shock.

"Huh?" Kai mumbled, then looked over too.

Kai felt as if the world had collapsed around him.

Ember looked on at the scene in front of her, shocked at the outcome of the battle.

They stared for several more moments. Then they looked at each other.

What the hell had happened?

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

AN: Oh god. 'Tis incredibly late.

Feck.

-Note: There will be no more sneak peeks any more. That just ruins the story, and sometimes I have to warp the story, and the thing I've written doesn't become the main focus. So yeah. No more sneak peeks, 'cos I'm evil :P AND I can't be bothered to write one for this chappie...-

AN: Okay, hoped this chapter wasn't too long for you guys. It feels long enough-SPENT 3 HOURS ON IT! WITH NO BREAK! EVEN FOR THE BATHROOM! Shows you how dedicated I am. And this chapter is like 2000 words long xx

Tyrila Anios xxx


	9. Chapter 8: Arguing And Thinking

AN: Thank you for the lovely reviews! This chapter is dedicated to my friend Dan-it's pretty much the story of our friendship really!

Disclaimer: ZEBRA HOOVES. I DON'T OWN BEYBLADE. CHICKEN FONDANGO.

Song For This Chapter: Kids In America - Kim Wylde

-o-o-o-o-o-

**Chapter 8 - Arguing And Thinking**

**"W**HAT THE HELL HAPPENED BACK THERE?" Kai shrieked.

"Calm down Kai, calm down!" Hilary squeaked nervously, not wanting to incur his wrath, as Tyson had already did. Twice.

"YOU EXPECT ME TO CALM DOWN?"

"Um...yeah..." Tyson groaned, only to recieve another punch in the face for his contribution to the conversation.

"Kai, STOP PUNCHING TYSON FOR ONE MINUTE AND LISTEN!" Max yelled.

Kai was a little shocked, at Max raising his voice like that. Max was usually one who would try to steer everyone out of the arguements they were always getting into. He thought that Ray would have been more likely to shout out, and as far as Kai knew, Ray hated arguements almost as much as Max.

Max had gotten the atmosphere he wanted. It had also distracting Kai from beating the living crap out of Tyson, who was now shivering in a corner of the room, not wishing to be punched a fourth time. Or a fifth. Or even a sixth...

"Okay," Max said calmly, "Let's just go from the beggining, shall we?"

"I know about the beggining of the battle you dolt!"

"Okay! We'll skip to the part where you two collapsed!" Kenny yelped.

"Good," Kai growled, folding his arms.

"Alright," Kenny said, tapping at the keys of his computer laptop Dizzi, "I got the whole thing on my webcam. So now we can analyze the data and take out key fabric points-"

"I don't need any techinical shit, Kenny, just gimmie the story plain and straight." Kai grunted.

"Who died and made you King?" Ray said huffily.

"God."

"Oh."

Silence for a few minutes, apart from Kenny fingers tapping feriocously at Dizzi's keyboard.

"Okay," he sighed after about 10 minutes of hard work, "I think I've got the data all straight."

"Finally." Kai responded.

Sighing heavily, he came up to where Kai was sitting and put Dizzi in his lap.

"Now, see this?"

Kai glanced at it for a second, then noticed something very strange. The power readings from his and Ember's blade, at the same point, where exactly the same. _Hmm, _he thought, _That's unusual. _Not just that, but...

Tapping a few keys, Kai called up several more readings from other points. It was the same there time after time.

"Okay," he finally responded, "That is just creepy."

"You tell me about Kai. Hardly anyone can come close to matching your power, never mind matching it exactly and at so many points."

"Yeah..."

Kenny then started to call up several video panels, but Kai had had enough. Kai took Dizzi off his lap and put it on the floor-then walked towards the door.

"Kai?" Hilary squeaked.

"Where are ya goin'?" Max yipped behind him.

"To take a walk and clear my mind. I'm not watching myself get beat by a god damn girl 80 times over."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Ember -had- fully recovered, but Rally was still treating her like a two year old.

And Ember was getting tired of it all. Very quickly.

"Rally, seriously, I am fine!" Ember protested angrily as Rally wrapped a bandage around one of her arms.

"No you're not!" Rally stated firmly.

Ember groaned. She really didn't like being treated like an invalid when she felt fine. All she wanted to do was go out and find Kai. And when she did, to kick him in the nuts and then have nothing more to do with the utterly inept bastard.

Even Damien was growing weary of it, and it was Ember who was 'supposedly' being treated.

"Calm down, Rally," he sighed eventually, watching Rally crack some ice cubes out of a tray for a small bruise on Ember's right arm.

If looks could kill, Damien would've been deep in his grave.

"...shutting up..." Damien squeaked.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"Bloody annoyances..." Kai muttered, glaring back at the dojo, which was about 500 meters behind him now, "I do not want to see me getting my arse whipped by a girl. Who do they think I am?"

Not looking where he was going, Kai stumbled on a loose paving stone, stubbing his toe against it hard. Muttering a short stream of curse words under his breath, he got up and continued on his way down the the riverbank.

This was a very nice place for him. It was often very quiet here, and that made it an absolutley luxorious place to just sit, dream or think. Hey, he could even meditate and not be disturbed for hours. Slipping clumsily down the bank, he lay next to the water and shut his eyes, allowing the warm sun to cover his body. He now wished he hadn't kept his gloves on, as his hands were getting hot. Slipping them off quietly without opening his eyes, he envisioned where he would love to be...all alone on a long beach, sun, sea and sand, the sky a beautiful cerulean blue...with little with shines like clouds in them...wait a minute...those weren't clouds...

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Ember had managed to slip away from Rally after Damien had 'pretended' to be injured by falling over or stubbing his toe or something. She couldn't remember. She wasn't exactly paying attention.

Jogging down the pathway and across the bridge, she stopped halfway across the bridge to look over it and into the beautiful clear water. She could very clearly see her eyes and face, even from about 5 meters above the water-it was that clear. Smiling gently, she knew that if anyone ever tried to pollute this, they would have half the city on their tale, after all, it was one of the most peaceful places you could go whenever city life got too stressful, or you were just in need of a quiet think.

Glancing to the edge of the bank, she spotted a familiar face. A familiar face with grey eyes and blue hair...

She grinned evilly. Her day had just gotten a whole lot better...

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Kai yelped in fright as he scrambled away from the red-headed 16 year old girl hovering over him.

"What the hell?" he shouted, angered at this invasion of his privacy.

"I'm not a 'hell' thank you very much." Ember tutted.

Kai sweatdropped.

Shaking his head, he continued: "...forget I even said that. Look, just what are you doing here? Are you supposed to be with your team, concocting evil ways to kill me?"

"I've already thought of one."

"Lemme guess. It involves you plunging a sledgehammer right where it hurts most for guys."

"Spoilsport. Now you've ruined the suprise!"

"Ha ha. With a capital HA."

"I certianly think so."

"Oh shaddup."

Ember laughed gently. It was almost an angelic laugh really, but it had a hint of devilish humour in it.

Rubbing his eyes, Kai got up.

"Now," he stated, "What do you want?"

"I think it's pretty obvious what I've come for, isn't it?"

"Rematch?"

"Rematch."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

AN: Had to end it there LOL. I know it is not much. DON'T LOOK AT ME THAT WAY . 

Tyrila Anios xxx


	10. Chapter 9: Rematch, Retalk, Remeet

AN: Thanks for your reviews, as always. And nearly 1500 hits? BLOODY HELL! I LOVE YOU ALL!

Disclaimer: Just how many times am I going to have to SAY THIS?

Song For This Chapter: American Idiot - Green Day

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

**Chapter 9 - Rematch, Retalk, Remeet**

**"A**ren't you being a little forward with this?" Kai grinned, a hint of fire in his eyes.

"I'm always too far forward for most people's liking, but hey, what do I care?"

"Nothing I guess."

"Heh. Funny."

A small silence followed. Kai, for once, felt entirley comfortable with this kind of silence. Lately there had only been tense silences between him and other people, as well as ones that felt like they could bring doom and destruction, not to mention death. A lot of death.

_Weird, _he thought.

"Excuse me, but don't we have a match to be fighting right about now?"

Kai looked up at his adversary and smirked, his hair hiding his eyes.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"Where is she?"

Rally was practically running up the walls, so concerned for the fact that Ember was still hurt in her point of view, and therefore should not be allowed anywhere out of her field of vision. Not even for one miniscule second. This had been far more than a second, as it had almost been an hour since she had last seen Ember.

"Rally." Damien said firmly, "Calm. Self."

"I can't calm myself Damien!" Rally whined desperatley.

Trixie looked up from her blade, which she was tinkering about with. She'd gotten over the fact that Ember had nearly died by now, and was now just happy to know that her friend wasn't in that great big tunnel that leads to the afterlife...if there was one.

"Listen, Rally, we were all shaken up very badly by this situation, but I think you should calm down a little," she stated, "It's for the best. Ember went out for a walk to calm herself and get some fresh air. That's what she needs - fresh air, not being cooped up like an animal in this place."

"Bu-"

"No buts. We don't go after her until later. She needs some time alone I'm guessing."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Trixie could not have been more wrong about that.

Ember was not, in fact, alone. She and Kai were locked in a fierce rematch battle. Since they were both still a little tired after the battle earlier, they had both come to a decision that they'd go easier and not try to kill each other. This time.

Ember looked upon the battle. The blades were crashing into each other powerfully, trying to smash each other to bits. Grinning, she focused even harder.

Kai seemed to be having the same view as Ember did about the situation. When the battle started to change in Ember's favour, he quickly and without thinking stepped it up a notch. Dranzer smashing into the left side of Flare, before jumping up and landing on the top of Flare. Ember gasped in shock.

"Good," Kai muttered, an everything-but-angelic grin coming to his face.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"I thought he said he was going for a walk."

Tyson looked over at Hilary, one eyebrow raised.

"As far as I remember he did."

"Well..." Hilary sighed, "It's been over an hour. Where is he?"

"Hey don't worry. I'm sure our Scrooge will be back soon."

Rolling her eyes, Hilary punched him playfully on the shoulder.

"Hey!"

Hilary smiled.

"Oh no you didn't!" Tyson yelled, tackling Hilary to the ground.

Both laughing, they got up and looked towards the gate.

"Yep," Tyson murmered, "He'll be back anytime now."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Ember wasn't one to let any moves go unpunished when it came to battling. So she wasn't about to spoil her perfect record, now was she?

Flare slammed into Dranzer, drilling a complete 720 around him, loosening the attack ring, making him more easy to attack.

Rolling his eyes, Kai demanded an attack on Flare.

Ember did the same.

And as they did, they both got a very weird feeling of deja-vu...

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Kia wanted to kick himself. He really did.

Not only because of what had happened earlier. There was something else too. Something that had happeneing so recently he was still in a huge huff about it. Something that had annoyed him to no end, and was still annoying him now. It was just so pesky...

He'd drawn. AGAIN.

He knew Ember was in a similar huff, as she had not spoken to him for the past thirty minutes. This silence was starting to get intolerable for Kai-he didn't know what to do to break the silence. It was always someone like Max or Ray who would break these uncomfortable silence...him, he was the one who had usually put those silences in place. This one was no different, apart from the fact that neither Max nor Ray was here to break the ever-tense silence.

_HOW exactly am I supposed to talk to a girl? _a voice in his head moaned, _wish they's taught us that back in primary school...then we wouldn't have all this girl bother in the first place. _

_Oh hush up, _another voice, the dark side of him, snapped, _WHY exactly would you want to break this silence anyway?  
_

_It feels...uncomfortable._

_Phfft._

_I'm serious!_

_Whatever. You're the one that is supposed to be the God of silences-you think of something!_

_Ugh...they really do need a "Female 101" class._

_Please shut up._

_Okay, okay I'll shut up. But we have to break this silence somehow, and don't you deny it. _

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Ember could not have been more pissed off at Kai then she was now.

_It's not his fault! _said a voice in her mind.

_PULEEZE! _another voice yelled, _It is -so- his fault._

_How exactly could it be his fault? You didn't exactly give him an easy time._

_Yeah, well he didn't give us the battle either!_

_You are infuriating, you know that?_

_I try._

_Oh please, for the love of God, just get out of this huff, girl. You really have to set your priorities straight here..._

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"So..." Kai mumbled, uncertian as to bring up a decent conversation point, "What did you think of the battle? Should I have gone easier on you? Harder?"

No response.

"Well, if you say something, this conversation might be a little easier."

Still no response.

"You can't still be mad at-"

"OH FOR THE LOVE OF JESUS!" Ember snapped, whipping to face Kai, daggers in her eyes, "Stop trying to be cool and collected, Hiwitari-I know you're as pissed off as me."

"Maybe I am," Kai grunted, getting annoyed, "But all I'm trying to do is break the silence here."

"And WHY would you WANT to break this silence?"

"It feels...uncomfortable...I think..."

"You? Thinking? That's a first."

Kai felt a vien throb angrily in his temple.

"Anyway, why the hell would you want to talk to me? I'm supposed to be your adversary!"

"Well, even adversarys have to have moments were they get along, even if it's only for a moment."

Blinking, Ember thought over this for a second. He was making a lot of sense. She'd seen rivals become bast friends before-maybe that was what was happening here. And this guy couldn't be all that bad...after all, he seemed a decent guy, even if his intentions at times were a little...forward...he kind of had a feeling about him that she felt that she could trust.

"Okay, Hiwitari, what do you say?"

"Huh?"

"How about we start again? Get all that you-and-I-nearly-killing-each-other business behind us and start from the beggining?"

"Sounds good."

Ember giggled slightly. Kai smiled.

"So, what did you say your name was again?"

"Ember Makotina," Ember smiled, holding out a hand for him to shake.

"Kai Hiwitari." He shook her hand, a smile playing about with the corners of his mouth.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

AN: This suuuuuuucccckkkkkeeeeeddddddd. Yeah...

SNEAK PEEK:

_"Wha?"_

_"You mean you've been talking to her?"_

AN: Nearly 1500 hits...wow...that's a lot of hits for a story that's only been up about a month and a bit...I thank you all for your lovely reviews, and may God bless you all!

Tyrila Anios xxx


	11. Chapter 10: Awkward Moments

AN: Help me-this chapter wasn't easy. I feel like I'm repeating things here...this chapter has a bit of Tyson/Hilary in it-DON'T KILL ME! -dodges knives and various other sharp objects- Although...I do like the pairing a bit... -dodges more knives- WHAT DID I SAY ABOUT KILLING? WHAT? Put the sharp objects of pain DOWN and read.

Disclaimer: Pippa says hi. Oh wait. She's trying to kill me. Never mind.

Song For This Chapter: Amsterdam-Coldplay

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

**Chapter 10 - Awkward Moments**

**"S**o is this your idea of a fun time?"

"Ayup."

Rolling his eyes, Kai looked out at the water. He couldn't believe he'd agreed to this...

Staring at the water. That was what Ember had said they should do. Apparently, it 'relaxed' her. It made Kai wanna go, but he didn't say anything, just simply held onto his feet tighter.

Kai didn't know WHY he had gone through with this, at all. For some reason, he felt like he had to. That was weird-usually his concious only showed up in times of when he was greatly nervous, and Kai was 99.9 percent sure that he wasn't nervous. But there was still that 0.1 percent-and that was enough to make him dwell on it for hours and hours on end. He wasn't completely thinking about it-his conversation with Ember penetrated his cone of thought.

"Hellooooo? Earth to planet Kai!"

"Huh?" Kai yipped, snapped out of his thoughts by her voice.

"Have you not been listening to anything I've been saying?"

"..."

"Thought so."

Ember sighed and leaned back. Looking at her, Kai felt bad for some reason. He knew Ember would have wanted him to talk to her, but he really didn't feel like talking. A comfortable silence engulfed the two, Kai's thoughts whizzing around his mind.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"THAT'S IT!" Hilary barked, making Max jump from the sofa where they were both sitting watching TV.

"What's it?"

"We have GOT to go and find Kai."

"Hil, he's fine." Tyson grunted irritably from the floor next to the sofa. For some reason he always seemed to be like this instead of God-damned sitting on the sofa like a normal person.

But you can't really count Tyson as normal, can you?

"Shut up. We're going to find him." Hilary said.

"Hil-"

"Shut up Tyson!"

Tyson faltered slightly. Hilary wasn't usually like this with him. Usually she would be a lot more accomodating. But now Kai was gone...

A theory came up in his mind. This theory was so horrible to think about he desperatley tried to stop it from domineering his brain, but he couldn't...

Hilary still liked Kai.

It was a mad theory, true to that, but Tyson had his sneaking suspicons. And for some reason, he felt really hurt by them. He felt...almost betrayed. _Madness, _he thought, _Complete and utter MADNESS! _But his mind kept telling him that it could be true...that stupid little annoying voice in his head just wouldn't leave him alone.

Why should he care? He thought he knew why. He had been having weird moments where his brain had actually been coming to the conclusion that HE, of all people, liked her. In more than a friendly sort of way. He kept pushing the thought to the back of his head, as with the theory, but for some reason, the same little voice kept bringing the thought back to him.

He was snapped out of his thoughts with a yell from Hilary, telling him to move his arse or she was going to shove him out of the god damned door.

"Coming!" he yelled, leaving his cap behind, as well as his thoughts.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"I'm sure she's fi-"

"But DAMIEN!" Rally whined.

Damien sighed heavily.

"She's okay, Rally, stay calm!"

"I hope you're right Damien..." Rally mumbled, walking ever faster down the street.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Kai and Ember had had a great afternoon, enjoying the summer sun and the silence.

Kai, for once, felt at ease. With the others, he didn't. It was very strange really...

Around Ember, he seemed to be able to have his own viewpoint. Around her, he felt like he didn't have to bottle anything up. Before, when he was just a cranky teenager, he now put that down to not spilling his heart out. He and Ember may only have been friends for a day, but he felt a lot more relaxed anyway. He felt as if he could, for once do something he'd always wanted to do and just blend into his surroundings, like a normal teenager.

But he was soon brought back from these musings by a big whole heaping of reality-he had to get a grip. He had an image to maintain. But for some reason, the image now seemed a lot less imporatant to him...

Kai mentally slapped himself.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Ember was feeling pretty good, which was unusual for the way today had turned out. She felt a lot more relaxed after talking to Kai for a while and a lot better for it. She got the feeling that he felt a lot better too.

From what she knew, he used to be a badmouth teenager who would only talk to people if he was physically forced to. But know, after talking to him for a while, she realised that his 'bad boy' image as it were was only a facade. He was, actually, underneath that punkish attitude, a nice guy. He was pretty funny too-his sense of humour was one that was rare-it was special enought o make her laugh, and that, for Ember, was one of the key points a friend needed to have.

She didn't find it so weird now, him being her friend. At the start, she had been very sceptical, but now she was happy with it. She knew if his teamates could see him now, they'd roll over laughing.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"Kai!"

Spinning around quickly. Kai looked at his team. Ray, Max, Tyson (minus the cap) and Hilary all stood there, staring. Ember was looking at her teammates the same way.

This was all too awkward.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"Wha?"

"You mean you've been talking to her?"

Kai looked at his team, silence filling the air.

For once, Kai didn't deny something. Maybe it was for worse that he didn't...

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

AN: I know you people obviously hate me for the obvious Tyson/Hilary in this, but please try not to hate me too much. I don't like being hated -puppy eyes-

SNEAK PEEK:

_"You guys just don't know her!" Kai protested._

_"We know her well enough to know she's the enemy!" Max barked._

_"A hot enemy." Ray stated clearly._

AN: Arrghhh...lateness again. Why is it always me? Oh well, enjoy the chappie, more up later. And...OMG. Nearly 2000 hits...-SQUEAL- R&R guys!

Tyrila Anios xxx


	12. Chapter 11: Cool Head In The Fire

AN: Yeah, this is what I'm trying to do. Get the chapters up every day. Tough huh? Well, it is very tough. My bones are hurting as I type this...owie.

Btw, I'm also starting to write some one-shots as well as another fanfiction story. It'll be awesome, but I need to complete some stories before I post the one-shots, to explain some of the pairings.

Disclaimer: Don't own Beyblade...but do own OCs, plot and story...

Song For This Chapter: Not Gonna Get Us - Tatu

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

**Chapter 11 - Cool Head In The Fire**

**"S**ince when have you ever talked to a girl with courtesy Kai?"

Kai simply stared back. Tyson glared him in the eyes. They were in the dojo. They had had to practically drag Kai there, and now they were in the privacy of the dojo, they could question him to their heart's content without any annoying Team Dragoness hanging around, especially their leader, Ember.

"I mean really," Tyson continued, "You never talk to a girl like that. Hey, you never even talk to us like that Kai! It's just plain illogical!"

"Logic has no place here..." Max breathed spookily.

"Shut up Max," Ray groaned.

"Tyson's right," Hilary said, coming forward, "You absolutley never talk to me or any other girl that we know until now! What's so different about Ember that makes you talk to her like that?"

"Yeah," Kenny piped up, "What's so different?"

The quizzing continued for nearly an hour. Kai remained silent all the time, slowly getting angrier and angrier as the accusations continued. Why were they even doing this? Did they suspect he was sick or something? _Well I'm not, _Kai thought irritably. Finally, nearl;y half an hour after he thought that thought, something inside him snapped.

"SHE'S DIFFERENT OKAY?"

Silence followed Kai's short outburst. It remained like that for several seconds, until Tyson broke it.

"Different in what way?"

"She's different in the fact that she actually understands what I've been through. You guys think you understand, but you don't!"

"She's the enemy Kai." Max growled.

"You guys just don't know her!" Kai protested.

"We know her well enough to know she's the enemy!" Max barked.

"A hot enemy." Ray stated clearly.

Kai whipped round, bloody murder in his eyes.

"SHUT THE HELL UP RAY!" Kai yelled, looking so mad, like he was about to punch Ray in the face.

Ray automatically raised his hands in defense, just in time to prevent Kai from whacking his face. Kai's fist impacted quickly with Ray's palm, sending Ray rocking back several steps from shock and momentum.

"Kai!" Tyson snapped, "Calm down!"

Kai breathed heavily for a few seconds, then his breath returned to normal. Coming out of his fighting stance, he leaned against the wall, resuming his relaxed position.

"Woah Kai," Ray breathed, "Defensive there, huh?"

One glare from Kai silenced Ray. And if looks could kill, Ray would be dead and in his grave faster than you could say death on a stick.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Kai had been even more irritable than usual over the past few days. The 'accusation' from Ray had apparently caused this. He wasn't defensive over Ember! Not one bit! How dare they accuse him of that!

But the more he thought about it, the more he realised that his reaction had been primarily in defense. But defense for what?

Maybe it had been a spur of the moment thing. He kept trying to convince himself that that was it, but something in his mind told him it was more than that. Much more. He just didn't know what yet, was all.

Walking outside, he noticed a familiar red head wander out of a nearby building.

"Ember?"

Ember turned round and smiled.

"Hey Kai!"

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"I can't believe your team freaked so much. I thought they'd only be a little mad."

Kai nodded. Ember and him had gone for a walk and were now standing on the bridge that crossed the river. Ember had told him how her team had gone off the rails, which was followed by Kai's disturbingly similar situation back at the dojo.

"Disturbing how our situations were so similar." Kai muttered.

"Yeah. I kinda got the deja-vu feeling you get when..." Ember trailed off, not sure of what to say.

Kai smiled and looked out to the water. Everything seemed a lot brighter. Maybe the guys were right - he did act differently around Ember. He still had no idea why he acted so strangely. But for some reason, he didn't care what they thought. All he knew was that he was happy for the first time in his life, and absolutley nothing could change that.

Ember's long beautiful red hair sparkled in the light. Kai sighed happily. No matter what the others were saying about his friendship with Ember, but he knew that and Ember were friends. His first proper friend. He had never felt trust like this before. His trust had always been broken before...

Kai longed for someone to keep that trust forever, and he knew that he had found her. Ember Makotina was going to be one of the closest friends he would ever make, he was sure of it. _Because,_ he reasoned, _nothing but friendship can form between us. No reason for betrayels. We'll stay together side by side. Forever. Until the day we die. I just know it. Nothing can harm us. Nothing at all..._

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Darkness was enfolding the already creepy building. Sunset had long gone, but even when the sun was up, it never seemed to shift the bad feeling that was always around the building. It seemed to look like an old church. In fact, it was anything BUT a church.

This was the homeland of Kai, and was his bane. Kai could never face coming back here.

Unless he was drawn here.

The only way to do that was through his own emotions. The prophecy told of love and longing for years, then feelings of betrayel, before love was restored. Boris knew well of this prophecy.

And it was about to begin.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

AN: Cliffy? ZOMG.

SNEAK PEEK

Kai couldn't believe it. Ember couldn't have had that happen. She always seemed so cheerful...

But she had said it herself.

AN: Sorry for the day lateness, but a new chapter up tommorow. If I can get over England getting knocked out of the World Cup...-sniffles- WHY ENGLAND? WHHHYYYYYYYYY? -bursts into tears-


	13. Chapter 12: Reveal The Past

AN: Well, this chapter was hard to write. But I did good on it I think. Review please! And for those people who have given me cookies for good writing - :3 -eats them- Mmm. Cookies.

Disclaimer: Do. Not. Own. Beyblade. Comprende? (Which I think is Spanish for Comprehend or SOMETHING)

Song For This Chapter: Spies - Coldplay

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

**Chapter 12 - Reveal The Past**

**B**oris was angry. No, that was an understatement. He was very, very angry.

"Can you not decode the prophecy's line's faster?" he yelled at a frantically typing worker.

"N-no sir," the man stammered, "We are doing the best we can sir. It shall only now be a matter of hours before-"

"HOURS?" Boris barked, "I need the prophecy fully decoded in minutes! If you do not complete decoding it within the next 2 hours-" Boris made a slicing motion across his neck to emphasise his point.

The man looked in shock for a few seconds then went back to typing, visibly faster than he had been before. He had worked there for several years now, and he knew that when Boris threatened someone, he always carried that threat out. The man didn't want to be in Boris' bad books. Nobody did.

Except maybe a certian blue haired 16 year old named Kai.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Kai was in a huff with the team. They knew where he had been going - to see Ember. They had now chosen a different tactic to plain out angering him. Their new 'tactic' was to say whenever Kai was going to see her, "Oh, going to see your GIRLFRIEND?" This wasn't exactly a different tactic, but it did have the same effect as the old one. Kai would usually turn on them and throw something heavy in their direction. That heavy thing usually was expensive, so Kai thought they would stop after a while. Because, hey, there was only so much breaking people could stand.

Kai didn't see what the problem was with him having a female friend. God, did they think he was a bloody pervert? If they did, Kai wouldn't rest until they were deep in their graves.

Looking up from his bed and onto the side table, he picked up a small picture. A tear formed in his eyes.

_Mother, _he thought, sadness welling up inside him.

In the picture was indeed, Kai's mother. He had lost her at a young age. How was the very darkness that haunted his soul. He had never talked about her death with anybody-ever. It was too painful for him to recall. He feared that if he did, he would have a mental breakdown. So, all this time, instead of showing his emotions, he had bottled them up.

But Ember, somehow, managed to break down that barrier. He didn't know how. He just knew that talking was a lot easier with her than it was with anyone else. Everything seemed happier with her around. It was like she could instill happiness in him with a single smile.

Ember obviously had that reaction on a lot of people, because sometimes, when they were on one of their walks, a young man would see Ember smile and then follow them for the rest of the journey. Kai, for some reason, absolutley hated this. He'd even yelled at one of the stalkers once. It was if any man came near Ember and he'd defend her quicker than a lightning bolt.

He thought he was doing these things completley on impulse. It was if his intuition was yelling, DO SOMETHING!

But unfortunatley for him, Kai was absolutley oblivious to what was happening in his subconcious.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

_Brring._

"I'll get it!" Max yelled to the team. He ran towards the door and opened it quickly.

"Hey!" a sweet voice called. Ember stood before Max in the doorway.

"Hi, Ember." Max said, a small smile on his face, "Looking for Kai?"

"Yeah," she said, smiling, "Mind if I come in?"

Max shook his head and opened the door even more and stepped into the living room.

Sitting down, Ember looked around. _Nice place_, she thought. It was a traditional Japanese place, but it was homely. It had that aura to it that made one feel completley at home the minute one stepped in. Smiling, she looked up at Max.

"I'll go fetch Kai," Max said, then walked out of the room. A little while later, Ember heard voices from down the hall.

"Hey Kai!"

"Yeah?"

"Your girlfriend's here!"

"Max, HOW MANY GODDAMN TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU? SHE IS NOT MY GIRLFRIEND!"

"Sure she's not!"

This was followed by a shriek of rage, presumably from Kai, then Max came running into the living room and out the other door. Kai came running in a few milliseconds later, a face of pure anger on. He looked around, and noticing Ember, sweatdropped and blushed lightly.

"Uh...how long have you been there?"

Ember giggled.

"Mind helping me kill Max? I'd like to teach him a lesson once and for all."

"Sure. Got any weapons lying around?"

"No. Grandpa doesn't like heavy artillery in the house."

"Awww..."

Kai chuckled lightly. They then left the house, walking along, and went towards the park. It was a beautiful day, the sun beating down on the concrete and earth. Little children laughed, playing ball and tag. Kids maybe a little older, about 12, were doing homework or soaking in the sun. People of their age beybattled furiously in some of the small dishes that they had set up. A few people were aldults, and were either reading newspapers or walking along, like them, enjoying the day.

Sitting on one of the many benches along the path, Kai closed his eyes and let the sun beat on his face. It was really one of those perfect weather days-where everything was nice and sunny, but not too hot or too cold. Just the right temperature, in fact. There was not a single cloud in the sky either.

Sighing, he opened his eyes and looked across at Ember. She was looking at a small family. A mother and a father were playing with their young daughter. Looking back at Ember, Kai was shocked to see a small hint of sadness in her eyes.

"Ember?" Kai asked, looking across at her, "Is something wrong?"

"Huh?" Ember mumbled, then looking over at Kai, snapped out of her trance and said "Oh, nothing's wrong!"

She had said it so quick Kai did not believe her. Kai took his hands out from behind his head and put one on her shoulder. He felt her tnese beneath his hand, but then relax slightly.

"Something's wrong Ember, don't lie to me. What is it?"

Ember looked at the ground, then mumbled something.

"Huh?" Kai asked.

"You ever wonder why I'm in an orphanage Kai?"

"I was figuring it's because you lost your parents-"

"It's because my whole family was killed!"

Kai looked over, his face paled with shock. he'd thought he was the only one to really have had some losses in his life...but this...

Kai couldn't believe it. Ember couldn't have had that happen. She always seemed so cheerful...

But she had said it herself.

"Ember..." he breathed, putting his other hand on her lap. She wriggled away, standing up. She was shivering, her arms by her side, head down. Sounds of sobbing penetrated the silence that surrounded them.

"Why don't...you tell me what happened?"

Ember looked at him, tears in her eyes. He was now standing up, and was straight behind her. One hand was once again on her shoulder. The other was clutching her wrist. His eyes were understanding and sorrowful for her. She sighed deeply.

"Okay. I will tell you exactly what happened."

_**Flashback**_

_**Ember was five years old, running home from school. She was so happy, it was her birthday today and her whole family was gathered at the house to celebrate her birthday. Unles and aunts, grandmas and grandpas, cousins, second cousins, family friends - you name it, they were there. They lived in a very tight knit community, so everyone celebrated everyone's birthdays. Everyone was friends in her village of Okatosi. She never wanted to leave.**_

_**Running up to her house, she reeled back and hid when she noticed two men running from the house. They were obviously in a hurry. Both wore balaclavas and had black shirts and trousers on. The jumped into a nearby van and drove off.**_

_**Slowly coming out of her hiding place, she made her way into the house. Maybe she should have stayed in her hiding spot. It certianly wouldn't have had any effect on her psychology, unlike this.**_

_**The main table in the dining room had been overturned, and lay in two peices. Windows were broken, books from various bookshelves lay torn and wrecked on the floor. Bits of glass crunched under her feect as she made her way through the room. Something in her mind told her to go back, but she had an overpowering urge to go into the next room. As she opened the door, she reeled back in shock.**_

_**Dead. Her family, all of her friends. Dead. **_

_**They all lay on the floor or slumped onto now torn sofas. Blood was spattered across every wall and surface. Pools of it lay around people. There was even blood in one of the cups. Wounds still oozed small amounts of blood, adding to the blood pools that lay around the victims. The birthday decorations were still up, and this only made it seem even more frightening. For every single decoration was spattered with human blood.**_

_**Ember walked even further into the room, her eyes blank and unreadable. She looked for her parents. It wasn't long before she found them, each with a knife through their skulls. **_

_**"Mommy? Daddy?" she breathed, tears forming in her eyes, "Wake up..."**_

_**She backed away, her parents bodies cold and lifeless. Tears streamed slowly down her face. Just as she collapsed on the floor, sobbing uncontrollably, several police crews ran through the door. Saw the massacre. Saw the little girl in the middle of it all, tears falling from her face.**_

_**"She saw it all..." one policeman mumbled. Another ran up to her and scooped her up in his arms. Ember still continued to cry, pounding her small fists against the policeman's armoured chest.**_

_**"W-why won't my Mommy and Daddy wake up?" she cried.**_

_**The policeman looked at her, tears in his eyes also.**_

_**"Because they're dead." he said clearly.**_

_**End Flashback**_

Ember was in tears, face buried in Kai's chest. Kai cuddled her close, tears dripping from his grey eyes. He'd thought he was the only one to have suffered trauma like that, but it had happened to someone very close to him as well. He just didn't understand how life could be so cruel.

He didn't understand why those robbers had killed Ember's family.

He understood that Ember needed support, and he was it.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

AN: -sniff- I actually cried when I wrote the flashback. Stupid huh?

SNEAK PEEK

_Kai shot awake, sweat dripping down his forehead, heart thumping in his chest._

_Then he remembered his dream._

AN: Yeah, two updates in a row-wow. Enjoy this chapter.


	14. Chapter 13: Same People, Different Minds

AN: Chapter 12 was a little angsty, but this chapter is like that too. Edit: Holy crap! I got 5 reviews so quickly...I think this once a day thing is working perfectly :P

Disclaimer: Still don't own Beyblade. Sad, I know.

Song For This Chapter: Nichya - Tatu (Been listening to a lot of them lately...)

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

**Chapter 13 - Same People, Different Minds**

**"I**t's alright Ember..." Kai soothed, resting his head on her shoulder, "It's all in the past..."

Ember's sobbing began to dim out. She was soon just breathing deeply, trying to contain her tears. Finally, she looked up at him, her cheeks tear stained, but a small smile on her face.

"Thanks for understanding," she mumbled, cuddling him, her head resting on his shoulder.

Kai smiled gently.

"But...I have a question."

Kai looked at her. Her tears had faded out, but their trails were still evident on her cheeks. Her blue eyes were no longer filled with sadness, but filled with questioning. Her head was tilted to one side, adorably, and her hair was falling slightly out of her hairband, curliung around her features perfectly.

"What is it?" Kai asked.

"What...what happened to your parents?"

Kai faltered.

"It's just that whenever I try to talk to you about your parents, you always blank me. It's like you don't remember them or that you've never known your real parents...I just want to know so that we can be on even ground here. I've already told you what happened to my parents..."

Kai sat on the bench, sighing deeply. He ran a hand through his blue hair, shaking his head. He patted the bench next to him, and Ember sat. Kai looked at her and began to tell his tear-filled tale.

_**Flashback**_

_**"Mommy?" 6-year-old Kai mumbled. He was looking at his mother, she appeared to be talking to a man. He knew the man wasn't his father-he had never known his father. His mother said that he lived in a far away place, where Kai couldn't go until he was older. He'd asked her why he couldn't go there, and if it was a different country, why couldn't they go there on a plane. His mother said that he'd be able to go there one day, but he shouldn't go there until he had lived a long and productive life. **_

_**Kai had no idea what that meant, but he trusted his mother more than anyone else. He even trusted her more than his uncle.**_

_**It was his uncle his mother was talking to. His mother seemed to be desperate about something, and Kai could overhear their conversation...**_

_**"But Boris, Kai really shouldn't go there until he's older. Maybe when he's 12, or even 13 he could-"**_

_**"No, Racheal! Kai has to go there soon. He has to be disciplined from a young age, as most of our trainees are. He's 6 years old-he should have gone when he was four! I decided to let you and him have a few last years as mother and son before he went to the training camp. I don't know why I did-I guess Kai resembles my lost son. I remember what it's like to lose a child, Racheal-I wouldn't do this to you unless it was absolutley necessary!"**_

_**"But is it really necessary? Kai could be like any other child-I want him to lead a normal life, not one filled with danger!"**_

_**"It is necessary Racheal!"**_

_**With that, Kai squeaked with fright as Boris took out a gun. Racheal yelped and began running, her long blue hair trailing behind her, her grey eyes wide with fright. Boris ran after her, and so did Kai, but discreetly. As they rounded a corner, Kai held back for a moment. He felt as if he should never set foot in that corridor. But his instinct told him to push on, so he did. He rounded the corner just in time to see the gun fire.**_

_**Racheal collapsed in a heap on the floor, and Boris ran off, leaving the silver gun behind. Kai ran up to his mother, tears spilling down his cheeks.**_

_**"Mommy?"**_

_**"Kai...my son...I'm dying..."**_

_**"No Mommy! You can't be dying! You have to stay forever, remember?"**_

_**"I can't sweetheart..."**_

_**Racheal coughed, a small amount of blood spilling out of her mouth. "I have internal bleeding, my boy-I can't survive much longer..."**_

_**"B-but you can't be hurt mommy! You j-just can't!" Kai sobbed, putting his head to his mothers chest. **_

_**"I am...I'm sorry Kai..."**_

_**"But Mommy-"**_

_**"I love you, son, and don't you ever forget that okay? Mommy will be watching you from up in the sky where Daddy is."**_

_**"So...Daddy's in heaven?"**_

_**"I'm sorry I had to keep the information to myself, son. I would have told you when you were older...but I'm not going to be around when you're older. I'm not going to be around to see you grow up, get married, have kids, and lead a life. But even though I'm not going to be there, I want you to live life to the full. Do you understand?"**_

_**"Yes Mommy..."**_

_**"One last thing..."**_

_**"Yes?"**_

_**"When you meet the girl of your dreams, don't be afraid to tell her. She will always accept you for who you are."**_

_**Racheal coughed up some more blood, staining her pink shirt with red splatters. Kai rose from her chest, and cradled her head in one hand, the other clutching his mother's hand. He knew these were her final moments, but he didn't want to see her die. He wanted her to live. But there was nothing he could do about it.**_

_**"I love you Kai."**_

_**"I love you too Mom."**_

_**Racheal's eyes then shut. Her chest stopped rising and falling. Her pulse stopped beating in her hand. All signs of life were gone. Her body started to lose warmth, and she gave out a dark aura Kai could feel in his very bones.**_

_**His mother was dead.**_

_**End Flashback**_

Kai stared at the ground. His heart was bleeding poison from what was an emotional wound. Tears were welling in his eyes, but he brushed them away with the back of his hand. His chest rose and fell with a shuddery motion. He was desperatley trying to hold in the tears, but didn't succeed. They came in a slow and steady stream, almost refusing to stop.

"Here," Ember said, holding out a white hankerchief, "I'm so sorry."

"It wasn't your fault," Kai choked, "You didn't even know about it when it happened..."

"I still feel responsible. Come here..." Ember cuddled him, holding his shoulders, letting him cry gently.

"Thanks," Kai mumbled, rubbing away the tears. "Here," he sighed, "Have your hankerchief back."

Ember shook her head, then said "Keep it. It will help you, I know it."

Kai smiled. He knew he'd found a really special friend now.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Trixie was in a bad mood. She stormed through the orphanage dormitries. People who knew about her temper tried to stay out of her way, but often would get a yelling for no reason other than the fact that they were in her way and they were existing. People who knew her well just hid in closets. They reasoned that if she couldn't see them, she wouldn't go crazy on them. They were right, for the most part. She still yelled angrily, but not at them.

"Where the hell is she?" Trixie fumed, throwing a nearby shoe at the wall. Rally squeaked and ducked, the shoe narrowly missing her head.

"Probably out with Kai." Damien said clearly, lying on Rally's bed lazily.

"She's been going out to see him a lot lately. You think something's going on between them?" Rally asked, coming out from behind the lamp.

Trixie laughed, "Hardly. She's threatened to stab me with sharp things if I even think about them two...you know..."

Damien rolled over laughing, tears in his eyes. Rally giggled.

"That'd never happen between them Trix. They're just friends. I've seen em walking through the park just acting like mates do. What do we have to be suspicous about?" Damien said when he had finally calmed down.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Walking through the park on the way home, Ember didn't say much. Kai understood this-she had just revealed one of her darkest secrets to him. _She must be regretting it... _he thought miserably. Ember, as if reading his thoughts, reasurred him that this wasn't the case. Kai felt only slightly reassured. He was still a little unsure why he had felt the urge to spill what had happened to his mother to Ember. He shoved the unsure thought to the back of his mind.

As they rounded the corner, they came across a kissing couple. Ember wolf whistled and told them to get a room. Kai laughed, as the couple stormed off angrily. Grinning, Ember asked Kai: "Can you believe people like that?"

Kai shook his head, laughing again. Then, an offset thought took him off guard.

He wondered what it would be like to kiss Ember.

What the hell am I thinking? he thought quickly, shaking his head, desperatley trying to sway the thought. But it stayed imprinted in his mind. When Kai finally got home, he went straight to his room and flomped onto the bed. Within seconds he was asleep.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Kai shot awake, sweat dripping down his forehead, heart thumping in his chest.

Then he remembered his dream.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

AN: I would have given you his dream, but I decided that the chapter was long enough already what with Kai's flashback and all.

SNEAK PEEK

_"Guys!" Kenny called._

_Snapping out of his thoughts, Kai ran towards Kenny and started when he saw what was on Kenny's screen._

AN: I'll give you his dream next chapter. R&R please!

Tyrila Anios xxx


	15. Chapter 14: Weakened To Breaking Point

AN: Yeah, yet another chapter...I'm on a chapter hype :P

Disclaimer: No ownage here. Nope. None at all. Except maybe the OCs, story and plot. Those I own.

Song For This Chapter: All The Things She Said - Tatu

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

**Chapter 14 - Weakened To Breaking Point**

**L**ooking at his computer screen, Kenny sighed. He had been working on some beyblade schematics. Had been. Now he was looking at several of his message boards. Kenny got rather lonely on the long nights, even with Dizzi, so he had joined various message boards to keep his social life somewhere on the chart. Logging onto his "Villians" board that he'd joined maybe a month ago, he tapped through some topics, adding a point of interest here and there.

After about half an hour of surfing, he came across a board entitled "Operation B.l.a.z.e" He had no idea what this was. Curiousity got the best of him.

He clicked on the message board's title, but came across a screen that said "Password Needed". Something told Kenny to go on.

He began to tap some normal passwords in, but none of them came up as a match for the password. Trying some more unusual passwords was going to take a while, but Kenny was extremely sure that it was either going to be alphanumeric or unusual.

He'd start with the unusual.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Kai cradled his head in his hands, gasping for air. It was if the temperature had risen at least ten or so degrees, because he was feeling boiling. Wiping his hand across his forehead, he sighed deeply. Gaining back his air, he looked over at his alarm clock. It was only two in the morning. Who in their right minds woke up at 2am?

Kai got up, wondering down the dark and quiet halls to the kitchen. Getting himself a glass of water, he splashed some of the water that came from the tap onto his face to try and cool himself off. It worked, and picking up a towel to dry his face, he went back to his room.

Passing Kenny's room, he noticed Kenny hard at work on something. Some late night IMing? Most likely. Sometimes when Kai had woken up in the night, he'd passed Kenny's room and seen the young prodigy tapping messages furiously to other people in the chatrooms that he joined. Kai figured that Kenny really needed to get a social life. Honestly.

Sitting on his bed, he dried his face off and then gulped the water he'd brought, and started coughing as some of it went down the wrong way. Kai swore under his breath, pounding his chest. Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, he lay down and tried to sleep.

Sleep soon enveloped him, but the dream it brought was far more than what he'd expected...

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

_**Kai was running. Running through a dark forest. He could hear his ragged and harsh breath, hear his footsteps as his feet pounded against the leafy forest floor. A black, frightening shadow was following him. It threatened to imprison him-something Kai obviously wasn't going to take well.**_

_**Skidding around a corner, he sprinted through the last trees in the forest and into the city. The dark shadow continued to follow him, gaining distance. Suddenly Ember came running up beside him. Tears were in her eyes, as well as pain and fear. **_

_**The shadow followed the two of them through long alleyways, and through the park. Kai could dimly see little white ghosts of children playing there. They would throw the ball to each other, then fade without warning before appearing again, then dissapearing. It appeared to be an endless cycle. People appeared at odd intervals too. Kai then remembered what this scene was like. It was all the people at the park him and Ember had seen. He stopped. Ember stopped too. She simply hovered next to him, she was a ghost herself. Kai looked at his own hands. He was a ghost too!**_

_**"Hmm?" Kai looked over at the ghost Ember. She was pointing at something. Looking at where she was pointing, he saw ghosts of Ember and himself. **_

_**"This is impossible..." he mumbled, "If we're here...then we can't be over there as well! Can we?" Kai directed this last question at Ember. She looked at him for a second then resumed pointing. **_

_**"Listen," she whispered, her sky blue eyes begging him.**_

_**Kai listened in on the...other Kai and Ember. He could clearly hear their conversation:**_

_**"You ever wonder why I'm in an orphanage Kai?"**_

_**"I was figuring it's because you lost your parents-"  
**_

_**"It's because my whole family was killed!"**_

_**Kai looked at the ghosts of them. Darkness from the shadow was surrounding Ember. Small flecks of it were starting to appear around the other Kai. He then saw the scene unravel further:**_

_**"Why don't...you tell me what happened?"**_

_**"Okay. I will tell you exactly what happened."**_

_**The ghosts of them then proceeded to be in the middle of some sort of black and white film. Ember was explaining it, and the other him was listening intently. kai looked up and saw what they were talking about.**_

_**The black and white film was of a younger version of Ember running home...then it showed two men dressed in black...then Ember walking into the living room...**_

_**Kai knew what this was. This was a memory of what and Ember had been like the very day before! That explained this entirley. Well, not entirley, but it explained it enough for Kai to understand what was going on.**_

_**The other Ember then burst into tears. Kai watched the scene some more, then saw himself and the accident...**_

_**Kai shut his eyes, tears trickling down his pale ghost face. It was all too horrible reliving it once...why did he have to do it a second time? Why? **_

_**Kai began to run again. He looked back just once-to see the black shadow envolep the other Kai and Ember in its vortex. He knew there was nothing he could do, so pressed on with his running. He continued running, on and on...**_

_**He soon found himself in an alleyway, lit only by a small flickering candle in a lantern. Rain had now begun to fall-not like on the day. Was this...at another time? Sometime in the future? He didn't know for certian, but it certianly seemed so. The city had fallen into a dark winter night, rubbish strewn across the street. This part of the city had obviously fallen into disuse and a trash place over the amount of time travelled. Kai then noticed something. It was another ghost him! **_

_**The ghost Kai was apparently a bit older than Kai was now-maybe twenty or twenty-one. He certianly seemed taller than Kai was now. **_

_**"Wait-" Kai called, but shivered. The other him had passed right through Kai. Could...no-one see him? No-one hear him? Was he just a spectator of this dream?**_

_**He watched the Kai run through the alley to a place just below the flickering lantern. Looking around, Kai saw that the ghost Ember had now vanished. Where had she gone? Was she not...here in the future? Kai trembled at the thought. He knew he'd never be able to bear it if Ember was taken away and out of this life.**_

_**Stepping out of the alley, he turned around and saw another Ember. She was apparently a bit older herself-about the same age as the other Kai, prehaps twenty. Her hair flowed behind her, loose from its pony tail. She darted down the alley. Flowing along nearby, he saw the ghost Ember from before. **_

_**"At least Ember is still here..." Kai muttered to no-one in particular. He watched Ember run down the alley towards where the other him was hiding. She ducked behind the bins with him, hiding. Hearing a loud siren, Kai spun around and saw a large police force coming towards the alley. Remembering that he was invisible and not solid, Kai stood his ground, waiting for the scene to unfold and show him its secrets.**_

_**"Tokyo Police Force! You are breaking the law set by Boris the Third! Come quietly and we may not be forced to shoot! It is neccesary for you to come out within the next 10 seconds, Hiwitari!"**_

_**"Never!" he heard the other Kai yell. With that, the gunfight began. Kai had a small gun, and was blasting the men with all of his might. Within minutes, sixteen of the police force had been killed, and at least three had been scared off. Now only twenty or so police forces were shooting. Kai heard his gun click. **_

_**"Shit," Kai muttered, "Outta bullets..."**_

_**"What are we going to do?" he heard Ember say.**_

_**"Don't worry. You stay here-I'll get us out of this."**_

_**Jumping out from behind the trash bins, Kai kicked one of the forces in the head, breaking the man's neck, killing him instantly. Grabbing the man's gun, Kai continued his hate-filled fight, using a trash bin lid as a shield. When the gun he was holding ran out of ammunition, he started fighting his way through the ranks of police men. A full out tussle began, all guns aside. Kai quickly and easily disposed of several members, then yanked off his trenchcoat. Kai saw that the other him had muscular arms-this showed why he was so good at fighting. **_

_**Tossing the trenchcoat aside, Kai fought on. Soon only one man remained. He was lying on the ground, shaking. Kai picked up a gun and walked towards the man, hatrid and disgust in his eyes.**_

_**"Y-you can't kill me Hiwitari!"**_

_**"I can," Kai growled, put the gun to the man's temple, then fired.**_

_**"And I just did." **_

_**Everything was quiet. Kai looked on as the other him slipped on the coat he had tossed aside earlier. Ember slowly came out from behind the trash cans, shaking.**_

_**"Is it over?" she asked, her voice as trembly as her body.**_

_**"No," Kai grunted, tossing aside the gun, "It's far from over."**_

_**Ember ran up to Kai and threw her arms around him, crying softly into his chest.**_

_**"There there..." Kai soothed, his voice a lot softer now.**_

_**Kai looked on at the scene. It seemed so eerily simalir to what had happened in the park yesterday. His whole body trembled.**_

_**Then out of nowhere...**_

_**A blond man about twenty years old ran twoards them and stabbed the other Ember with a dagger.**_

_**"That'll teach you," the man growled, his eyes dark brown and ferioucious. **_

_**"No..." Kai whispered...his voice lost to the wind...**_

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Shooting awake, Kai was breathing heavily. It was early morning now-about five or six in the morning. The sun was just rising over the trees, light pouring into Kai's room. It spilled across the bed, giving his face an eerie shade. Wiping his brow, he got up and dressed quickly. Anything to take his mind off the dream he'd had.

"Guys!" Kenny called.

Snapping out of his thoughts, Kai ran towards Kenny and started when he saw what was on Kenny's screen.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

AN: What is on Kenny's screen? What happens next? Will we ever know how Kai's dream ended?

SNEAK PEEK

_"I don't beleive this," Ember muttered, "What do you mean it's a villians plot?"_

_"That's exactly what I was asking Kenny." Kai stated emotionlessly._

AN: Next chapter up later...now I need to do some homework -groans-

Tyrila Anios xxx


	16. Chapter 15: Looking Between The Lines

AN: Due to 'techinical' problems (ie-my computer screwed up about 14 times and I swore at it for at least half an hour) this chapter had to be re-written a few times. In other news, I think I better give out info on the character's ages:

15 Years Old-Kenny, Rally

16 Years Old-Ember, Hilary, Damien, Max, Tyson, Trixie

17 Years Old-Kai, Ray

AN: Hope that cleared things up a bit. I don't like this chapter, but hey, you have your own points, so worship/purge/burn it any way you want.

Disclaimer: ZERO OWNAGE ALLOWED. EXCEPT ON OCS, PLOT AND STORY.

Song For This Chapter: Ja Tvoja Ne Pervaja - Tatu

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

**Chapter 15 - Looking Between The Lines**

**"K**enny, what is this?" Tyson asked, looking at the screen, his face set in a frown, his eyes shifting from Kenny's frightened face to the computer screen. Hilary was looking over his shoulder at the screen, as was Ray and Max.

Kai walked in, and looked at Kenny confusedly.

"What's going on?"

"Kenny found some sort of message board conversation on the net last night," Max replied, not taking his eyes off the screen, "And it looks pretty suspicous. Kenny said he needed a really complicated password-alphanumeric I think-so it must relate to something big that's going to go down."

Kai hesitated. He knew Kenny wouldn't have shown them unless it was extremley important, so it had to be something unusual. Something big. Kai didn't really feel like talking to the others about what it might mean. He was too busy trying to figure out what his own thoughts were about.

The dream. What did it show? Kai wasn't sure what he had seen-the past, the present, the future, the willingness to fight-he was just so confused. Taking up his jacket, Kai put it on as it looked like rain. Walking outside, he began to walk slowly to the park, mulling things over in his mind.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Ember was hanging around the outside of the orphanage. No real reason for this, she just felt like having a breath of fresh air. The orphanage's air conditioning had apparently thought it was funny to shut down and refuse to work on the hottest day of the year, even though it was pretty cloudy and looked like rain.

Ember had been feeling a little weird lately. She didn't know how, she just knew something was wrong with Kai. He was acting a lot differently to how he usually did around her and was becoming a lot more self-concious of his image, it would seem.

"Good," she grunted to no-one in particular, "Men always need to learn more manners, no matter how good they think they are."

"True," came Rally's chuckling voice from behind. Rally wandered over to her friend, who was now staring at the clouded sky, as if in deeo thought, when in fact all Ember was focusing on was clearing her mind. She didn't want to think anything at the moment-she just wanted a clear slate to begin off of again. This reminded her a lot of how she and Kai had started off on a clean slate. Was time repeating itself? _Hardly _she thought, chuckling slightly.

"Something funny?" Rally asked, her eyes looking a bit concerned.

"Not really," Ember smiled, "Just thinking."

"Oh," Rally said, smiling, then turned to her friend and said, "The truth is, me and the guys are worried about you."

"Huh?" Ember frowned, "Why would you guys be worried about me of all people? I can take care of myself, and you guys know it. I don't like to be babied, so tell me what you're worring about, Rally Telton, otherwise so help me God, I'm going to grab the nearest marshmallow bag and throw pink marshmallows at you until you tell me."

Giggling, Rally's face turned serious, "No...it's just...you're spending an awful lot of time with-"

"With Kai?" Ember stated lazily, flicking a strand of her hair behind her ear. Rally blinked. Was Ember a mind reader or something like that? Highly unlikely. A guess? That last one was a whole lot more believable.

"Look Rally, I know you don't like him that much-"

"He's taking you away from us!" Rally yelled at Ember, her eyes filled with anger and rage. Ember started, never knowing Rally to be one to start yelling. That was Trixie's job.

"He's forcing you to give up the team! He isn't worth friendship! Seriously, who's it going to be-that lying little jerk who would never care about you in the slightest, or us, your caring and loving team who will always accept you for who you are? Come on Ember, it doesn't take a genius to work it out."

Ember's head was down, her eyes shut. Emotions flared up like bush fires, then seeped down as fast as they had come. It was if there was a battle in her mind to see who was going to win. Kai or her team.

"You know what Rally," Ember said coldly, looking up.

"What?"

"You have the whole thing upside down."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Kai wandered back in. He hadn't seen Ember, as he'd thought he would have. And hoped.

Sighing, he hung up his dark jacket and then walked into the living room. A red head was sitting there, her blue eyes fixed on the carpet.

"Ember?" Kai breathed.

Ember looked up. There were tears in her sky-blue eyes, and her body was shaking with sobs. She ran up and flung her arms around him, her face buried in his chest, crying softly.

"What happened?" Kai asked, his voice soft and soothing.

"Everything's going the wrong way..."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Ember had now calmed down and was sitting next to Kai in the living room. Kenny was showing the two of them some of the raw data he had extracted. Many numbers jumped up and down on the screen. Ember blinked a few times, then said:

"What is this supposed to be?"

"I'll show you," Kai said, and leant over her shoulder to tap a few keys. He found himself blushing furiously. _WHY for the love of God am I blushing? _he thought angrily. He couldn't shake his head for fear of hitting Ember, so he instead just bore it, hoping and praying to God that she couldn't see. And since God had not been good to him lately, he knew the chances of her not noticing were slim and none.

Suprisingly, she didn't notice, instead she was focusing intently on the screen in front of her. Kai sighed inwardly with relief, and gently put one hand on her shoulder.

"Okay here we go..."

Pressing the return key lightly, Kai called up several windows. Each of them had readable understandable data on them.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"I don't beleive this," Ember muttered, "What do you mean it's a villians plot?"

"That's exactly what I was asking Kenny." Kai stated emotionlessly.

Ember sighed and sat on the sofa. Her long hair was coming out of its hairband. Yanking it out, she shook her head and let her hair flow around her cheeks and face. Kai looked over.

_She looks really good with her hair down..._he thought, his eyes softening. He scanned her frame-light and delicatley built, but with some definite muscle on her arms. Her stomach was flat, which made her body appear even more attractive. Her hair, which came down to her knees, flowed around her body, covering some of her black T-shirt and black trousers with her red hair. Her eyes were shut, her head tilted upward. She appeared to be in deep thought.

Kai shook his head, _Ack! Not this again! Why am I thinking of her like this? True, she's pretty, but I just think of her as a friend. Get yourself together Kai! You can't be like this! You can never be like this with anybody, especially Ember!_

Kai flomped onto the sofa too, ruffling his hair lazily.

Max, who had been surveying the scene, sighed. "So," he asked Kenny, "What's going on?"

"To be honest," Kenny replied, his voice grave, "I really don't know."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

AN: Left it there 'cos it was getting a little long.

SNEAK PEEK

_"This is probably just normal of Kenny, right?"_

_Kai looked over at Ember and sighed. To be honest, he didn't know what was normal anymore._

AN: Arrgh, lateness! I think some of you can detect something in the air here. Nyaaaaa!

Tyrila Anios xxx


	17. Chapter 16: Confusing Meanings

AN: This chapter is very very weird...my chapters keep getting freakier.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Beyblade story or characters, but do own the OCs and plot. Not to mention the story. NOW do you get it?

Song For This Chapter: Diamond Eyes - Hawthorne Heights

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

**Chapter 16 - Confusing Meanings**

**K**ai was in a state on mental confusion. He didn't know what was up or what was down. He was really too confused for words - all of his thoughts were swirling in his head. Thousands of questions longed to be answered, but no answers resided in his mind. All he could do was sit there in total confoundment and try desperatley to think of an answer.

But no matter how hard he tried, each answer brought up a thousand new questions. It was a never ending cycle that might have torn him apart had Ember not snapped him out of his state of mental collapse.

"Kai?" she asked, waving a hand in front of his eyes.

Kai snapped out of it quickly. But all he could reply with was "Buh?"

Ember giggled. For some reason, this woke Kai up out of his crazed state faster than a shot of adrenaline.

"Come on stupid," she smiled, playfully punching him on the shoulder, "Kenny wants us all to go into the lounge again. He has some more mad theories to share with us."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Boris stormed down the alley, his eyes filled with anger. He was furious that those buffoons at the lab had not yet cracked the god damned prophecy. How hard could it be to read some text? A five year old could do it.

_I should really fire those idiots, _Boris thought, _it's madness that they can't even read a bunch of text. _

Wandering to an even darker part of the alleyway, Boris pushed a hidden button. A brick slid away to reveal a keypad. After tapping in the ten digit code twice (the second time to verify) a door clicked open to reveal a metal corridor. He walked down it, the sound of his metal - tipped boots resounding harshly on the cold stone floor.

He turned down into another section, continuing on. After several minutes, he came across a metal door. He took out a black key, then placed it into the lock, turning it gently to the left. The lock clicked, then the door creaked loudly as it opened up into a small room. The room was lined with metal, but the floor appeared to be some sort of dark blue laminate.

In the centre of the room was a pedestal. On it was a black orb. It swirled thousands of different colours and shades, but always stayed black, which shouldn't have been possible. The beauty of the orb was transfixing - many felt as if they could spend their entire lives staring at it and not come any closer as to working out its secrets. Many people had thought it completley impossible to decode the prophecy that was inside the black orb.

But those people didn't know Boris.

As he walked over to the orb, small strands of smoke appeared to be coming out of it. Many would have jumped back in terror, but Boris knew that this was a sign. And he appeared to be right - when he picked it up softly with one gloved hand, the orb began to glow a light pink and projected even more smoke. The smoke began to form into a coloured picture. Or a coloured vision.

Overviewing the picture, Boris noticed several things. One was a red haired girl sitting near a young boy. They both looked in their teens. Boris frowned. He knew these people well enough, but needed to know what was happening.

All of a sudden the picture began to move. The young girl undid her hair and let her long hair swirl around her curves. The spiky-haired teen near her was transfixed on what she was doing. Boris looked on as the boy's silver-grey eyes softened. A light pink aura was now surrounding him. He appeared to be in a trance for several seconds, but then shook his head violentley. The pink shade swirled in many different directions away from him, dissipating into the air. However, as the boy sat down, a noticeable pink shade resided on his cheeks.

Boris smiled, putting the orb back down. The glow stopped and it began to turn black again. The smoke vanished as quickly as it came, but no-one was in the room now. All that was left of the memory was a smile along the middle-aged man's face as he walked across the icy Russian pathways, making his way to a large laboratory nearby.

Everything was going according to plan.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"If we are going to know what this guy is doing, we need to know who he is."

Kai looked up at Kenny, a 'No shit Sherlock' look on his face.

"Yes I know it seems like the obvious thing to do Kai, but this guy's profile is much like the board - it needs a password."

"Try the same one as you used for the board." Ember suggested.

"Oh come on," Max snorted, "Like that is going to work." Kenny nodded in agreement to Max's statement. Ray appeared to be on the same side. After all, you could not be more obvious than "I'm on the same side as those guys," coming out of his mouth, now could you?

"Move it," Kai grunted, shoving past Kenny and sitting in front of Dizzi. Tapping keys wildly as he tapped in the password into the profile, he noticed Ember looking over his shoulder.

Ember caught him looking. Her blue eyes locked with his grey ones. "OH SHIT!" passed through Kai's mind, as well as many other very scared phrases.

"Kai, you okay?" she asked.

Kai smiled, and gave her a thumbs up.

"Good." There was then silence for a few seconds, aside from Kai's typing. Then a question formed in Ember's mind, one that she porbably wouldn't have asked, but just felt like she had to. She had to act on impulse here and just go wherever the feeling would take her.

"This is all just normal of Kenny, right?"

Kai looked over at Ember and sighed. To be honest, he didn't know what was normal anymore.

"Probably, but we have to check it out nevertheless." came the reply.

Trying not to blush, he looked down and kept typing. Several seconds later, a loading bar appeared on the screen. It took a minute, but after a short length of time, the loading box dissapeared and was replaced with a window that said "Password Cracked" in bold letters.

Kai leaned back and grinned smugly.

"Go on," he laughed, "Applaud me for thinking of a simple way."

Hilary rolled her eyes.

"What? No appraisals for _moi?_"

"Okay Kai," Ember said sarcastically, "Thank you. How many times are we going to have to say it?"

"That once did it fine."

Ember laughed, and looked at Kai's smiling face. He was really a very accomadating guy when he tried, and he certianly wasn't like some of those sleaze boys she had met before. In fact, she thought he was one of the nicest guys she had ever met. She was happy to call him her best friend. She knew that it must sound wierd - Kai Hiwatari having a best friend. And a best friend who is a girl at that. Kai usually hated all girls. But he seemed to have taken her in.

She thanked him a million times over for all that. And she had been taken in when she had had that row with Rally...

An upset look flashed across her eyes. Kai noticed this quickly, and gently put a hand on her shoulder.

"It's okay," he said, "Just forget about the arguement."

Ember wished she could. But those guys had been her freinds for years. When you get into fights like this, it almost becomes impossible to forget them. They had been like the family she had lost to her.

Looking around at the others, who were all looking at her worriedly, she mentally slapped herself. She had friends here. These guys were her family. They really understood her. They cared for her. They would do anything to protect her. This was what she needed in a family. She didn't always need laughter and jokes. Sometimes she just needed a heart to heart. And these guys helped her out in those kind of times. She was so lucky.

But things were about to turn unlucky. Very unlucky.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

AN: WOOOOOOOO.

SNEAK PEEK

Kai looked at the wall. His eyes were blank with shock.

"Kai!" Max yelled, running up, "What happened?"

Kai couldn't speak. Only a whisper of breath left his lips...

AN: BLAHBLAHBLAHIAMWASTINGYOURTIME. Yeah, I know, extreme lateness. But hey, I need a break from updating every few weeks. Eh, I guess there will be another update on Sunday, if I can fit it into my schedule. I hope I can. ACtually, I beg and pray that I can because I really do not want you to be throwing lemons and other citrus fruit at me. Those things sting if they hit your eyes, you know.

Tyrila Anios xxx


	18. Chapter 17: Torn In Two

AN: I am back from Alaska! And I am now ready to have fun and basically write write write for the next few days. I have been suffering with jet lag, only got up at like 2pm today. That's what it does to you. By the way, Daniel in this chapter is a tribute to my buddy Dan, who's not one for black. More pink than black.

Disclaimer: Um...does I do not own the show, characters apart from OCs and only own plot, story and OCs sound familiar?

Song For This Chapter: Gomenesai - Tatu

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

**Chapter 17 - Torn In Two**

The dark Russian night drifted along the buildings exterior, only making the darkness around it seem even more impossible to see through. It was like a blanket, a blanket which haunted the corridors, made you feel uneasy, brung back the most terrifying memories that you have ever experienced. It was a frozen over hell on earth, and heaven certianly wasn't close.

Daniel wandered through the building. He was due for a meeting with Boris, and he knew that if he didn't attend, Boris would not be pleased with Daniel's dissapearance, to say the least.

He was about fourteen, with blondey-brown hair. His black eyes ignored everything around him, instead he kept walking. His boots made resounding footsteps, making it seem even lonlier in the building. Daniel approached a small door in the west wing of the building, and punching in the keycode, he entered. The door was like something out of Star Wars - it wooshed back with a wooshing sound. Very appropiate.

As Daniel walked towards a desk, a purple haired figure stepped out of the shadows next to the black metal table. Daniel jumped back in shock. He was sure he would never get used to Boris doing that. Boris had a way of scaring you by popping out of nowhere, making it seem as if he was everywhere at once. Daniel always thought that Boris was some kind of magician, or something like that, anyway.

"Ah, Daniel," Boris said in velvet tones. His voice was soft, but contained the threat of danger in it as well. He always seemed to have that tone about him, as if it was always on his vocal cords. It probably was superglued there, but no-one who worked for Boris seemed to want to say it, for fear of iunducing said danger. When you were in Boris' bad books, you were in the books of Satan himself.

"Sir!" Daniel stated firmly, with no emotion in his voice.

Boris chuckled, "Yes, Daniel, I know you are here about the job."

"I know sir, but don't you think that this job should be carried out by someone else," he paused, "Someone with actual experience in this quarter? If you pick me...well, I have had no experience in the field, only experience in simulators. If you send me in there, it will be like putting a cat in a room full of bulldogs. It will be impossible!" He slammed his bare fist on the cold table, then immideatly wished that he hadn't, as a wave of pain shot through his hand and up his arm. His yanked his hand off the desk, shaking it furiously, trying to shake the pain off.

Boris laughed again. He sat at the desk in the leather seat, then turned to Daniel again. "Daniel. You have practice. You have the equipment. You have the knowledge to use it. I doubt it will be hard for you." The young boy shook his head, his hair falling into his eyes. Daniel sighed deeply, and thought that Boris simply did not understand the process of this mission.

"Go." Boris said softly, his voice barely audiable.

"What?"

"I said go!" Boris yelled angrily. Daniel quickly departed, his head pounding as he ran along the corridors that he had barely been in a few minutes before. Meanwhile, Boris leaned back in his chair. He shut his eyes and smiled.

"Bring her to me." he breathed.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"Do you guys mind battling somewhere else? I'm trying to sleep here!"

Ember and Kai glanced at a (very) annoyed Ray. He was glaring at both of them as if they were specks of dirt on his shoe. In protest to this, the redhead crossed her arms diligantly across her chest.

"No." she stated clearly.

Kai glanced at Ember and smiled. She was always like this whenever Ray was being bitchy. She'd stand up, be defiant, and anger the piss out of Ray. This was just one of the qualities that made her special. Not too many people would be like this, so he was glad he hadn't found a total wuss as a best friend.

Ember caught his eye and smiled too. Kai felt his cheeks heating up, so turned his attention to Ray in hopes of shaking the feeling off, and maybe distracting Ember. He begged that both were going to happen, and it appeared God wasn't laughing for once, because Ember didn't notice he was blushing. Instead she was embarking in a furious arguement with Ray about God-knows-what.

Sitting down, Kai noticed Hilary, Max, Tyson and Kenny all walking in. They stopped when Hilary poked all three of them to show them what was going on. Tyson looked at Ember, an expression on his face that said "What the hell?" Max was flicking his head from one to the other, confused about the whole thing. Kenny simply stared, his body frozen in what seemed to be a complete statue like state. He was obviously shocked out of this act of Ember. She wasn't like this. Hilary looked straight at Kai, who was watching the situation.

She noticed that he tried to keep his eyes off Ember, flicking to Ray every few seconds, but he kept coming back. Slowly he stopped changing visions and simply stared at the 16 year old red head arguing with the 17 year old black haired prettyboy. Kai's eyes were only half open, an almost sleepy state seeming to drift upon him. A small smile lit up his face, and despite all the racketing noise from Ray and Ember's arguement, she heard him sigh deeply. Hilary noriced there was a small hint of red on his cheeks, and it certianly wasn't accidental.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

A few hours later, when it was close to sunset,Ember was hanging out in the back garden as she always did in the evenings. The light of dusk always seemed to sooth her, calm her sometimes jumpy soul. It was soft and gentle; warming her, calming her, making her feel happy. Although really, she did not need to feel happy, she was happy enough.

She had one the arguement with Ray, as women always seemed to do. Ember was now wondering wether it was some kind of gene all women had inside of them. If that was the case, then if women took over the world everything would be great. Men just seemed to screw things up at times. Not that she had anything against the male gender of course. It was simply stating a point of view that she had in her mind. Everyone deserved to state their point of view.

Which was one of the reasons why she had started he arguement with Ray in the first place.

"Back to square one..." she sighed happily, laughing at her own joke. She knew it was a bit lame, but hey, it was funny, and you didn't get too many good jokes, not with all that knock knock joke crap.

Ember heard the back door close behind her. She looked up from the seat, and saw Kai standing just outside the door. He was looking past her and smiling at the sunset. _Guess he likes to watch it too, _Ember thought, _And I don't blame the guy. The Japanese sunset is very pretty. Much prettier than some of the New York City sunsets. Those are always impossible to see in the big city._

Kai seemed to sense her presence, and shifted his gaze to her. He smiled and blushed slightly.

"Hey," he said softly, his voice a little odd. Ember didn't take this into account, seeing as he was probably overwhelemd by tonight's sunset. She replied with a hey too, and Kai sat down next to her on the ground. He scratched his head, shook his soft hair out of his eyes and smiled at her again.

"What?" Ember giggled.

Kai blushed even harder; "The sunset is beautiful tonight. Why should I not be smiling?"

She rolled her eyes and leaned back to gaze and the pinks and purples of the sky. Kai lay back too to examine the rainbow of colours that swept through the normally crystalline blue sky. Oranges chased reds out of the way, pinks swished through purples, forming a huge rainbow. It glimmered with the sun shining, sending strong waves of colour all around, bathing the garden in a firey glow.

He shut his eyes and sighed gently. This moment was one of very few, the kind you wanted to catch hold of and keep to yourself for forever. It was perfect. He felt as if he was in a shimmering bubble that couldn't be burst until the moment ended. Ember grinned to herself, then looked at the pond. It shone too, like a guiding beacon...

Kai heard a thump on the ground.

His eyes snapped open.

Things happened very fast after that.

A young man with brown hair was holding a small shotgun. He aimed the weapon at Ember, just as Kai scrambled to his feet. The boy was about to shoot when Kai leapt on top of him, his instinct to protect her fiercely raging. Brown eyes glinted from slits in the face of Kai's enemy.

Kai's eyelids narrowed as he picked the boy up, his strength coming in handy, but not for long. The boy punched Kai in the eye. In pain, he rubbed his eyes ferociously, glaring up barely a second later to see his worst nightmare unfold right before his very eyes on the fateful evening. Kai was frozen to the spot, wishing it was all a dream and he could wake up from this horrific reality. But nothing can shake you from reality when you want it to.

The tranquiliizer dart peirced the skin just above Ember's shirt, lodging firmly. Ember cried in pain, but just as Kai ran to help her, the brunette kicked him right in the stomach. Doubling over, he tried to ignore the messages his body was telling him. It was too much however. Kai was still recovering from the injuries inflicted by the tournament match, and at this blow his mind told him to shut down and faint.

Just as Kai shut his eyes and collapsed to the ground, a brunette boy with a red haired girl slung across his back leaped over the wall and to his safety, but to Kai's danger and torture.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"Kai?"

The voice came in faint, as if it was from far away. Kai felt pain rack his body, but in an effort he sat up, his eyes straining to see in the new light. The voice came through again, louder this time. "Kai? Are you there?" He was getting closer to that voice, he knew he was. All Kai had to do was keep following that voice, and he was sure it would be alright. He was sure it was all a dream. Ember being taken away, his worst nightmares unfolding. Opening her eyes further, he focused on the image.

Max was sat in front of him, worried, just like he had been at the tournament. Ray stood behind him, looking in concern. Tyson and Hilary were applying ice packs to his eye and stomach, hoping to ease his pain.

"Ember!" Kai gasped, jumping to his feet.

The others all looked very confused for a second. "What happened Kai?" Kenny squeaked, "Did something happen to Ember?"

"Where is she?" Kai yelled, his head sweeping around. He was still in the garden, it was obvious he had only been unconcious for a few minutes, if that at all. But at the moment he didn't care. All he cared about was seeing that Ember was here, okay and fine. But he couldn't see her anywhere. There was nothing huge she could hide behind.

"She wasn't here when we came out Kai. You were just here." Max said softly.

Kai looked to the ground. Just beside the wall, Ember's black hairband lay on the floor. He walked over, stooping down to pick it up. He turned it over in his hands, looking. Staring. Unblinking at the black hairband.

Kai looked at the wall. His eyes were blank with shock.

"Kai!" Max yelled, running up, "What happened?"

Kai couldn't speak. Only a whisper of breath left his lips...

"They took her."

"What!" Max gasped, his eyes widening, "What the hell? Ember's been taken away? Kidnapped?"

Kai broke down, slipping to his knees, then thumping the earth with his fist. Tears seeped out of his eyes, drenching the ground his little shining diamonds. They were anything but happy. They aurated torment, despair, sadness, the same emotions that were ripping through Kai's heart. Kai's soul. Tearing him in two, destroying all hope. Destroying him.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

AN: Um...yay?

SNEAK PEEK

"What is this place?" Ember breathed, her blue eyes transfixed on the building before her.

A chuckling rose from behind her. Turning around swiftly, she looked straight at a man. The man glared at her from red goggles, turning the hope that had once been in her heart into pure terror. "Who-who are you?"

AN: After hiatus, we are back. YAY!

Tyrila Anios xxx


	19. Chapter 18: I Can't Live Without You

AN: Another summer chapter, and zounds, you would think I would be updating more frequently having next to infinite time on my hands. Well I'm not, not for now at least, so live with it. I'm sorry, but I live a thing called life (and I actually do go outside every now and again, even though I usually do not) Edit: And OH MY GOD. FIFTY REVIEWS. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH! I LOVE YOU ALL! I didn't think I'd do this well, but I did. Crazy! READ AND REVIEW! IT MAKES ME A HAPPY CLAM!

Disclaimer: Same as the past gazillion and a half chapters. You'd think they would have learnt by now.

Song For This Chapter: Styrofoam - Daniel Powter

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

**Chapter 18 - I Can't Live Without You**

**K**ai lay on his bed, head in his pillow. His body was shaking slightly, convulted with the unnumerable sobs he had endured over the hours since Ember's kidnapping. His hair was scruffy, his eyes red from crying. The light that had been present in his grey orbs just a few days before had gone. There was no sparkle, no hint of happiness. Just pain. Kai just wanted the earth to swallow him up, take him out of this nightmare he was ashamed and terrified to call life. Life was supposed to be for living, for fun. At least that's what Ember had always said. Kai hadn't understood that until Ember had told him. Then he had understood completely one of the basic concepts of living for the first time in his life. _Fun. _He certianly wasn't having fun now.

He couldn't understand it. He shouldn't be this upset. He wasn't one to show emotion, as it was always someone else. But that was a long time ago, and now he was like everyone else when they lose someone near and dear to them. Lost, with no apparent direction to go in. Kai felt like he was on some sort of path that led to oblivion. It was tortourous, but not as tortourous as lying here and thinking what could be happening to Ember at this very minute.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

As Kai was thinking those thoughts, Ember was being forcibly marched through the corridors by the brunette that had kidnapped her before. She whirled around at him, "I can walk by myself you know!" The boy frowned, and kicked her shin hard. Ember yelped in pain, just as he chuckled something about 'you take my orders, girly, whether you like them or not.'

Ember looked up at the large structure in front of her as the boy slowed down to take a call. He flipped open his phone and began to talk, while she stared at the sight in front of her. Every building in the world she had to be taken to, and this was the one they chose. She shivered, not because of the coldness, but because of the aura the building was giving out. It felt like every bad thing had congregated here and was tormenting her. The stone walls were chipped and old, the pathways weed infested. It looked so old it was impossible to reason why kidnappers would want to bring someone here. Snow gathered in the old creaky gutters, falling off of a windowsill as a window slammed open and shut with the cold wind. Ember now really wished she had a warm jacket.

Just as she was taken back into the present by a snowflake hitting her on the back of the neck, Ember overheard the phone conversation, or the last bit of it anyway. "Yes sir," the brunette grunted. Silence. "No sir, it's only me and the hostage. No I am not wired." A short pause was followed by, "Good. Meet you there sir." It ended just like that, and the boy noticed Ember blinking, shivering, having all the symptoms of someone who felt like they were being led to their death.

"Hey, hey girly," he grinned, "Don't be scared. We are just going to meet someone."

"Who?"

"You'll see," the brunette chuckled, and shoved her hard so that she stumbled forward to continue the deathwalk. Into the building itself. Ember felt her head pounding, the cold snowflakes settling in the back of her neck. She tried desperatley not to cry, as this would be a sign of weakness. She didn't want to seem weak to whoever she was going to meet. She wanted to seem strong, and so they maybe would consider letting her go. She had a bad notion that it worked the other way around. But maybe they had got the wrong person? No, that wasn't right. The boy seemed awfully sure of what he was doing and who he had.

As Ember entered, a feeling of dread swept through her body. She just knew this wasn't going to end well.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"Kai?" Max asked tentativley, knocking on the door quietly with his fist. No response, just a small sob. Max looked at his shoes and sighed. Kai had been so depressed. He was close to suicide, or so Ray thought. Hilary had gotten mad with Ray for even suggesting that Kai may kill himself, but Max liked to keep his options open. There was always the possibility that it could happen, no matter how wild and crazy it may have seemed.

"Are you okay Kai?" Max said, louder this time, "We haven't heard from you for hours. When are you going to come out? I'm worried that you're not going to snap out of this. Everybody's worried Kai. Can't you come out? Please?"

Still no response. He sighed heavily, then turned around. At that very moment, he heard the door opening behind him. He whirled around and saw the shadow of Kai. It was him, but he seemed...empty, if that would describe him. His eyes were red from crying, his arms shaky, his legs seeming near collapse. He didn't seem whole, like someone had taken his reason to live. They had taken away Ember, and with it they had taken away his closest friend and soul.

Max stared for a few seconds before shaking his head and putting a hand on Kai's shoulder. The old Kai would have shaken him off and given hima restraining order on the counts of Max being a gay sex crazed maniac, but he did nothing. Just stood there, looking completley pathetic.

"Max..." Kai mumbled, his voice squeaky with pain, "I'm in a bad way...I can't even imagine if Ember's alright..."

"She will be okay Kai!" Max snapped, putting his other hand on Kai's other shoulder and gripiing tightly. "Listen," he continued, "You have got to snap out of this. I know you are upset over this whole situation with Ember, but please! Ember needs to be saved, and the only way that is going to happen is if you pull yourself together and do something about it! Moping about in your room all day is not going to help."

Kai stayed silent, looking at his shoes. Max felt a wave of pity. _Poor Kai, _he thought miserabley, _he's in such a state. He's had so much happen to him, and now this? Just as life was begginning to look up for him again, everything goes disastrously wrong, kind of like in that movie Armaggedon. Or whatever. If his public could see him now, he'd be a laughing stock. That's just one of the reasons he has to snap out of this state of depression._

"Max. I don't know what to do. What am I supposed to be like in this sort of situation? She could be alive, she could be dead. She could be dying, she could be 6 feet under the ground. At least with my mother, I knew what was happening."

"Your mother?"

"FORGET I SAID THAT!" Kai snapped, whirling round, anger flowing through his veins. He couldn't believe he had just let that peice of information slip. No-one but Ember and him knew about that. And now he was on the verge of telling Max and possibly the world why he didn't have any close relatives. Had it been the emotion of the moment? Possibly.

"Max, what do I do?"

"For one thing," Max stated calmy, holding out his hand, "Come with me."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"Stay here girly. I'm going to go and get the boss."

Ember waited until he had slammed the door shut behind him before bursting into tears. Cold, icy, drops seeped down her cheeks and onto the hard stone floor. She couldn't go anywhere, she was locked in a cell with absolutley no chance of escape. It was dark, freezing and scary. She just wanted to be out of this place and be with her friends again. She wanted Kai to come to her, hug her and tell her everything was going to be all right. There was no chance of that though, not anytime soon.

The boy had taken the liberty to show her that the whole building had a state-of-the-art security system. Anyone trying to break in would immediatley be shot or taken prisoner. It was hardly ever the latter, and this is what made Ember even more terrified of this place. If she tried to escape, or Kai tried to rescue her, one of them would die. There was no way out.

A small window the size of a shoe box was at the very top of the wall, just below the ceiling, covered in bars. This made it even more impossible to escape. She had always believed that anything was possible, but unfortunatley her hopes for escape or rescue were fading as quickly as the setting sun.

"Why is it me..." she whimpered, hanging her head into her hands and crying. The boy had actually released her from her rope bounds once she was inside the cell. There was no way to get out, so why take any more measures?

Just as Ember opened her eyes, the boy came in again. He had a shadow behind him. The shadow entered the room. In the faded light, Ember could see next to nothing, but she surmised immediatley that the man was at leats 6 feet tall, was maybe forty or fifty years old, had pale white sking and purple hair. He glared at her with eyes so red in their goggles that Ember felt the last drop of hope drain from her battered heart.

"What is this place?" Ember breathed, her blue eyes transfixed on the man before her.

A chuckling rose from behind her. Turning around swiftly, she looked straight at another man. The man glared at her from gray eyes, turning the hope that had once been in her heart into pure terror. "Who-who are you?"

"Your worst nightmare."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

AN: Okay, so I edited the sneak peek a little bit to fit in with the story. So sue me.

SNEAK PEEK

"Kai we are going to help you."

"Really?"

"Yes. We have to do it. Ember is our friend. She thinks of you as like a brother she never knew about. We are all family, and it's all for one, one for all."

AN: Um...this is late again. And I have no idea what to put in this space. Guess I am just going to have to put random words here to waste your time...job done :P


	20. Chapter 19: Help Is At Hand

AN: Yay! Over fifty reviews -happy dance-

Disclaimer: DNOB. Guess what it stands for. Go on. Guess.

Song For This Chapter: Smile Like You Mean It - The Killers

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

**Chapter 19 - Help Is At Hand**

**R**ay knew that the minute Kai walked through the door, things were obvious he was in his own personal hell, and probably would not be released until Ember was safely returned. His eyes were bloodshot and red from crying constantly, his clothes wrinkled, his face and body exhausted. This was not the image of Kai, it was the image of one who has seen the worst there is to be seen in the world, and is now living it.

He smiled slightly, but Kai did not smile back. He simply lowered his head and then collapsed into a nearby armchair. Ray heard a loud sigh emenate from him. Tyson was sitting nearby, as was Hilary and Kenny. They all seemed a little concerened about how Kai was taking this - no, extremley concerened. They were all a family, and one of their number had been taken. All of them were feeling grief, but Kai was feeling it the worst.

A small silence descended upon the group. It was not a good silence, not like there usually was, but an uncomfortable, deppressed atmosphere. It was almost as if Kai's depressed mood was infectious and making everyone else feel his pain.

"Kai..." Hilary mumbled, looked very frightened as to the stability of Kai's mental state, "We all feel your pain."

Everyone but Kai nodded slightly. Ray inclined his head, thinking about how Kai was not feeling any better from this. He didn't know how he knew this, but he sensed it.

Ray doubted that Kai would be feeling any better over the next few days.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

It had been several days since Ember was taken into the jail. She had been kept prisoner for all that time, having few facilities, little to eat, and even less comfort. She didn't just feel uncomfortable physically, she felt it mentally too. Every night since Ember had first stayed in the cell, she had cried herself to sleep at night, hoping it was all just a horrible nightmare. But it was all too real, and she knew it. Somehow every flicker of hope was being doused.

She was laying there again tonight, sobbing quietly.

She was woken from her stream of pain by the cell door opening. She sat up abruptly, wiping away the last of the tears. It was the kid again. She didn't know his name, but she thought she had heard Boris call him Daniel. She decided to try it now, and maybe it would work. Then another mystery would be cleared up.

"Daniel?" she asked timidly, her voice wavering.

"Yes, Ember." Daniel grunted, sarcasm in bucket loads dribbling through his tones "You have learnt my name. Consider that a vast achievement on your part. You won't be achiveing anything else for yourself for a long time."

The last part sounded entirely serious, so Ember backed up slightly. What did he mean, "for yourself"? Was it a prenominition of something that was going to happen in the near future? Or had she just imagined the serious tone? Whichever one was true, Ember knew that she was pretty close to losing her mind in this cold stone cell.

Daniel guided her out of the cell and down several corridors. It seemed never ending, and Ember wondered for a few minutes if this was ever going to end. A few moments later, Daniel stopped outside a metal door, then knocked on it. A deep "come in" resonated, and Daniel opened the door. He signalled with his arm that she had to enter, she did. The door closed behind the two of them, and they walked towards the desk where Boris was sitting.

"My dear Ember," Boris laughed softly, "You are indeed a fickle character."

"Fickle? What makes you think that?" she asked innocently.

"Well, you get involved with the Bladebreakers for one. I hardly call that a coincidence."

"What do you mean by that? And you didn't answer my question!" Ember snapped, her voice rising in volume. Her sapphire eyes drilled into Boris, trying to expose secrets from his body language. But Boris was giving nothing away, as Ember soon found out after mere seconds careful observation.

Boris sighed deeply, "I don't need to answer your question. You already know what I mean." Ember was about to say she didn't know, but he continued without letting her speak, "Coincidence that you get mixed up with Tyson, Max and Ray? Coincidence that you are accepted into their 'family' like state?" Boris spat the word 'family' as if it was poison. "Coincidence that you get mixed up with Kai Richard Christopher Hiwitari?"

Ember was quite observant, and it didn't escape her that Boris had used Kai's full name. She had no clue why, and probably wouldn't have until later when she thought about it further. But now was a time for action, not thinking.

"I believe that could happen yes." she said calmly, keeping her voice pert and formal.

"Not in my world Ember. Something doesn't seem right here." He stayed quiet for a few moments, but then started up again with, "But that is not what I want to talk to you about Ember. What I want to talk to you about is..." he trailed off, pushing a small peice of paper to the front of the desk, then finished with a statisfied statement: "This."

Ember looked down at the piece of paper, a frown flashing on her features. She read it slowly, from top to bottom, then skimmed it several times more, as if depicting a summary of what this was trying to tell her. Ember then put it down softly onto the desk. She glared at Boris, her eyes dark and angered.

"You want me to work for you." she stated bluntly, her angerous tone reaching her vocal cords.

"Precisely." Boris grinned, "I find that it would be perfect in this kind of situation, my dear.You have accomodation here -" Ember snorted. If he thought living in a 7 foot by 7 foot cell was 'accomodation' he had another thought coming, "And nothing to do all day. It only makes sense for my, ah..._guest _here, to have something to do. A good host like me isn't going to let you be bored all day. You need something to do, and work could just be it."

"YOU'RE CRAZY!" Ember yelled, losing all control over volume of her voice and anger in her tones, "I would rather die than work for you Boris!"

Boris sighed deeply. "Then...you leave me no choice."

Just as Ember was about to ask what choices she had had in the first place, pain slammed through her neck as a tranquilizer dart pierced her marble skin. It injected a dose, enough to send her collapsing onto the floor, but not quite unconcious just yet. The darkness began to cover her as she noticed Daniel standing over her with Brian, laughing. At her. At her pain.

She was falling...falling...into an empty space.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"Kai we are going to help you."

"Really?"

"Yes. We have to do it. Ember is our friend. She thinks of you as like a brother she never knew about. We are all family, and it's all for one, one for all."

For some reason, at the word, 'brother' Kai felt a small part of him sink. He didn't know why this had happened, but was confused about many thing right now. About where Ember was, why he was so upset, why he just couldn't imagine being her brother. He felt a little apprehensive, but that was it so far. He sighed, this is not what he had wanted.

But he just couldn't ignore the help of Ember's team. Rally stood near him, looking at her shoes, obviously still upset about Ember ditching them. Damien and Rally were both sitting on the sofa, both obviously rattled, but trying to stay calm for Rally's sake.

This may be his only chance of getting Ember back, and he knew it.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

AN: Yeah, a little short, but it's the best I can do right now.

SNEAK PEEK

"No way! I am not going back there!"

Kai looked furiously at his teammates, anger welling up inside of him. How dare they know it was in the place of his nightmares that Ember was being held prisinor? And especially WHOM was her captor? The man who killed his mother! This was like Armeggedon, only worse.

"What do you mean, 'back'?" Rally asked innocently.

"YOU WOULDN'T UNDERSTAND! NONE OF YOU WOULD UNDERSTAND!"

AN: Okay, so yeah I haven't updated in a while, but hopefully a five chapter update will keep you satisfied until later. Maybe even until the start of school next month.

Tyrila Anios xxx


	21. Chapter 20: Two Steps Backwards

AN: I am sooooo sorry I have been away, but it's not my fault. My internet connection chose to be Satan, I swear! And for those of you who think it's creepy Ember thinks of Kai as a brother - I find it slightly creepy as well. But don't worry, everything's going to be changing very fast very soon. As soon as the sequel anyway. ON WITH THE FIC!

Disclaimer: DNOB. Again.

Song For This Chapter: All You Deliver - Jose Gonzales

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

**Chapter 20 - Two Steps Backwards**

**"O**kay, we've been figuring stuff out about where Ember is." Damien said slowly, shutting his eyes, "And it's taken us forever, seriously. I was nearly forced into smashing the computer."

Kai didn't smirk like he usually would at a quip, instead he only accepted it. Tyson looked over, concerned. Kai wasn't normal - but this situation certianly wasn't either. It must be a blow for him to know Ember was somewhere, cold and alone. Maybe even six feet under the ground, but he certianly didn't voice this theory. Kai would most likely sink to near-suicide level if he heard it.

"Well, where is she?" Kai asked, his voice still a little shaky, "I'd like to know so I can go rescue her. I mean, I cannot rescue someone if I have next to no clue where they are. She could be in Australia, China, England, the USA, anywhere. I'd like for it to be narrowed down to an area which I can search comfortably."

"We think she could be in Europe, more specifically...Russia."

Everything was silent for a few seconds. Then Kai had a revelation, and not the good kind. His face paled at the thought, his heart quickened, he started to shake almost uncontrollably. The occupants of the room were watching him, and just as Ray thought that he might have to go over to him and ask what was wrong, Kai stood up.

"No freaking way. She cannot be in Russia."

Trixie blinked and said, "Kai, she IS there. We've checked, used tracking systems, everything. And she's in Russia. She can't be anywhere else in the world."

"No way! I am not going back there!"

Kai looked furiously at his teammates, anger welling up inside of him. How dare they know it was in the place of his nightmares that Ember was being held prisinor? And especially WHOM was her captor? The man who killed his mother! This was like Armeggedon, only worse.

"What do you mean, 'back'?" Rally asked innocently.

"YOU WOULDN'T UNDERSTAND! NONE OF YOU WOULD UNDERSTAND!"

Kai stomped out of the room, his eyes focused intently on the ground in front of him. This was basically one step forward, two steps backwards for him. He now knew where Ember was, but it was in the worst place theoretically possible. And the fact she was being held prisinor was even worse. _Prison. _That word reverbrated in his head over and over, refusing to be pushed to the back of his mind. Even as he slipped his shoes on and grabbed his rucksack.

-o-o-o-o-o-

Tyson remained in his room, staring at the ceiling. Kai had been so angry before...and he knew Kai had once lived in Russia - heck, he WAS Russian...but why was Kai so opposed to going back there? Had he had bad experiences while he lived there? That must be the reason he was so opposed, his brain had finally come to that conclusion. But what had been bad enough to keep Kai from his homeland, or ever going back there?

Just as he was thinking this, Hilary came in the door and looked at him, concerned. "Tyson?" she asked, sitting down next to where he was lying on his bed, "Are you alright? You seem tense..."

"I'm okay, Hil, don't worry about me," he sighed, "Kai's the one we should be worrying about." He sat up and turned to face her, "I've been thinking about why Kai doesn't want to go back there."

"And? What's the reason? Have you thought of one yet?"

"Yeah. I'm thinking Kai doesn't want to go back because he's had bad experiences there. What I have no idea. It must be pretty bad in order to keep him from going back to rescue Ember. I really think he doesn't know what to do at this point. Ember's in the worst place possible for him, speaking from his point of view."

Hilary nodded and looked down at the floor. Tyson sighed. Even he didn't know what to do at this point. He had a rough idea, but no actual plan. _That's what I need now,_ he thought, _Not a bunch of theories about this or that. Cold hard fact is harder to accept than fiction, after all._

"I think that's true Tyson. I might have an idea as to what is keeping Kai from going back there." Tyson looked at Hilary with an incredulous look in his eyes. Had she hit the nail on the head? If she had, all they had to do was ask Kai about it, and if he got all angsty it would be true.

"Maybe something happened to his mother. I mean he never talks about her, and when the subject of family comes up he's always changing the subject as quickly as possible. So's Ember for a matter of fact. Think about it. Have you ever seen a picture of Kai's mother?"

"No...I haven't."

Max burst in. His eyes were wide and shocked. "Max?" Hilary asked, confused, "What's wrong?"

"He's gone. Kai's gone!"

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

In the cold alley, Daniel walked along, heading towards the training grounds to see how the new recruits were doing. He had no doubt they were getting along according to plan, but he wanted to check on some of the more rebellious recruits. As he entered, the sounds of battles flooded his mind and ears. He sighed. This is what he lived for, the sound of metal clashing on metal, the cries of bladers, everything. It was all so good.

Daniel then wandered to where the toughest test were being carried out. Some bladers were lying on the floor, gasping for breath. In fact, all but one were lying down. The one in question was wearing black armour from head to foot, and training against a robot. She attacked again and again, eventually, after only a few minutes, the robot overloaded. In the aftermath of the explosion, the girl took off her helmet and shook her head, flame red hair blazing down to her waist. Turning around, she looked at Daniel hard with icy blue eyes the colour of the sky. Daniel grinned.

"Ember, Ember, Ember," he chuckled, "You're doing better than I expected."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

AN: Chapter done. YAY.

SNEAK PEEK

Kai simply stared, the sight before him impossible. But it was happening.

AN: Sweet, now everything finally GOING SOMEWHERE. I've been waiting to do this chapter for weeks, but to be honest it was hard to write. Ugh...ah well, see you Wednesday.

Tyrila Anios xxx


	22. Chapter 21: Hope Receding

Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade. CAPISHE?

Song For This Chapter: Nikki FM - Hawthorne Heights

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

**Chapter 21 - Hope Receding**

**T**he snow came down in a soft blanket, covering the rails. Snow congregated in the gutters, flowing down and blocking the drains. Kai shivered and wrapped his scarf even tighter around his neck and mouth. He'd never known it to be this cold when he had been here last...but it seemed global warming was certianly doing something for the Russian cities. He sighed and boarded a small train that had just pulled into the station.

He found an empty cabin and sat down. His small satchel was by his side, carrying nothing but some provisions he had packed earlier when he was in Japan. Kai's blue hair got stuck slightly into his eyes. Shaking it off, he continued to look out of the window at the wilderness that was Russian 'countryside'. There was nothing but snow for miles and miles, and now Kai was wondering, quite frankly, how he had actually been able to survive in this weather. It had done nothing but snow all year round, even in summer. Swimming in the sea was absolutley impossible, for one, he lived nowhere near any seas, and for another, he'd probably die of pnemonia if he even dipped a toe in. He chuckled, but only slightly. There was nothing funny about his current situation.

He was scared. Kai was scared about Ember's safety. He didn't even want to know what might have happened to her, but at the same time he felt like he needed to know. He could not just sit there and be idle about it. He had to be some sort of big hero and go save her from the bad guys, like in a movie. Kind of cliche, but oh well.

If word got out, that Kai Hiwitari had been frightened about something, his rep would go down in flames. But he really didn't care about that right now. The only thing he cared about was actually getting Ember to safety. He wanted to keep her safe, but he hadn't.

He vowed to change that.

-o-o-o-o-

Tyson ran along through the airport, head turning from side to side as he searched frantically, _Where's Kai? _In his mind, he knew where he would be, no doubt about it, but somehow he couldn't bring himself to go there. Not yet. The others were obviously thinking the same ting, as they joined him in his scared search of Moscow International.

They had gotten on the next plane the moment they had heard that Kai had dissapeared, so now here they were, searching. "Why did he have to be such an arrogant asshole?" Tyson grumbled under his breath, breathing in harshly and raggedly.

"That's Kai for you..." Max muttered, pulling up his hood, "Always thinking of just getting there quickly as possible." Damien looked at Max with an "Oh, gee, YA THINK?" look on his face. Ember's team had come too. They had refused point blank to let Ember go through any torture, and now all they wanted was to get this whole mess sorted out. Rally shivered, sobbing slightly. She knew in the back of her mind that this was all her fault, even though no-one was blaming her for it.

As if reading her thoughts, Ray patted her on the shoulder, almost gently, "Don't worry, we'll find her and then we can get everything back to normal." Trixie, intent on finding Kai to kick his ass, smiled, "Yeah Rally, we will find Ember. At any cost. For once, Ray is right about something. You can't give up."

"Makes enough sense," Hilary said nervously, "This wasn't her fault. Whoever is planning it...it's their fault." Tyson looked over, "Quite. But for now we can't have any slip ups. If anyone where Kai is finds out who we are, we are not going to walk out of there with our heads attached to our bodies."

"And if they bring us in for questioning?"

"Well, you can bet a million dollars that it is going to be a cup of tea and a few polite queries. More like a cup of truth serum and a couple of electric shocks. We'll be lucky if we can count to ten if that happens."

She shot him a glare, "Must you assume the worst Tyson?" Hilary looked over at Rally, "We have to keep our spirits up. If we don't then everyone could fall apart. Rally is on the edge of a nervous breakdown and you're just making things worse. Just please shut up and bloody well search for him! If we find him, we'll find Ember."

"I'd search, but I already know where he is..." Kenny muttered.

Everyone looked at Kenny with a gaze of pure disbelief. Quiet descended upon the hall, only interrupted by the occasional security announcement, telling people not to leave their bags unnattended at any time for any period of time.

-o-o-o-o-

Kai walked through the icy-cold halls, his breath a vapid mist in front of him. Walking with stealth, almost ninja-like, he hid in the shadows with practiced ease every time he heard even the slightest amoutn of movement from someone other than him. So far, they all had only been mice and the occasional cat looking for the mice. So far...he knew his luck, as well as his time, was running out. It was only a matter of minutes before someone was bound to come walking down the corridor and discover him.

As he turned down another hall, he heard voices. Kai knew this wasn't a false alarm, and with almost perfect ease, he slipped up into the crevice of one of the arches that lined to ceilings of the corridors. Boris had always had a taste for the completley over-done. Now Kai found it amusing that his own tastes would be his undoing.

Kai simply stared, the sight before him impossible. But it was happening.

Ember Makotina walked down the halls with a young brunette boy beside her. Kai looked on, frozen in place. He could feel his body growing numb with shock and disbelief, but didn't dare move. He couldn't even if he wanted too. He was transfixed, unable to move. There was no point in trying, he would be discovered if he did. Some small part of him wanted Ember to discover him, just so he could see her. See her eyes, the two sapphires. He wanted reassuarnce, but Kai know it was impossible. But he had thought this was impossible as well.

Just then, Ember stopped. Looked up. Looked very close to the spot where Kai was hiding. It was in that instance that Kai saw the only thing that could convince him that this was real. Ember's eyes. Her soul portals.

Pain gripped his heart as he looked almost straight into them. Once so full of life and beauty, he could see...nothing. Absolute nothing. No compassion, no trust, nothing of the Ember he used to know. Her gaze remained silent and still. Her eyes were not shining, they were not saying anything to him. Instead, they were keeping silent, ignoring his silent pleas for them to say something to him, to show him that there was still some of her gentle yet fiesty nature still in here. But no. Nothing. Empty, sapphire orbs.

And that was what made his heart slam into the floor below.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Sneak Peek

_"Ember please! No!" he yelled, his grey eyes frantic. But no-one could hear Kai. Even Ember couldn't. Her soul was nothing, her eyes still empty. Nothing remained in her. _

_"Goodbye." she said monotonely, holding up the gun. Then she fired._

AN: Good god. This took forever. I hope it's long enough for you guys...I think it could be a little longer, it's a bit short for what I wanted. BUT STILL! I finally seemed to have regained my beautiful writing spark again, after so long...my soul is pouring out as I type! Yay, we have inspiration again.


	23. Chapter 22: Rescue Mission

Disclaimer: Still don't own Beyblade. If I did, there would be another movie by now!!!

Song For This Chapter: Warning Sign - Coldplay

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

**Chapter 22 - Rescue Mission**

"I wish you had told us about this before Kenny!" Tyson yelped, angry with him, "That would have saved us time!" Kenny glared at him from behind his thick glasses, but only sighed and said, "TYSON! Look, I only figured it out just now okay? Give me a break here."

"Be less harsh on him Tyson," Rally sighed, "It's not his fault." Kenny silently thanked the gods that Rally was the most understanding person of this whole lot. Noticing him in a praying position, Rally raised an eyebrow. Kenny look startled, and then felt heat creeping to his cheeks. Embarrasing much...

But Rally only smiled, lightly, and shook her head. The team filed out into the cold Russian air, snow settling on the ground with ease. The roads weren't icy, but it would still be far to dangerous to travel by coach. They'd have to go on foot. Setting out, Tyson continued to think about the situation at hand, and how it was affecting the team. _We all used to be just kids having a good time, _he thought, _But what happened? I guess reality decided to check in on us. Or...something like that. _

_I still don't understand. It used to be easy - get by day by day, only thing that wasn't constant was training. That was an adventure and a half by itself. Now everything unexpected. You think something is going to be normal, but then you realise, all too late, that it's not. Things have changed so much it's a warped version. Adult matters are being placed in our hands, and we just don't know what to do with them. It's like a new world, unexpected, frightening. Yeah, I'm scared. This whole thing has turned everyone's train of thought upside down. Everybody's turning out different than I would have expected, even happy-go-lucky Rally and even Max have begun to harden up. This...world...we are living in is far harder to survive in than I thought._

Everyone else was thinking similar things to Tyson, their minds revovling all around the one matter. It was like a silent conversation. Silence was reigning supreme - everyone just thinking the same things Tyson was. No words were spoken, and no-one thought to speak in the first place. They knew that words had no matter here - actions did. And every action needed to be perfect, there was no rerun, no ability for a rematch with it all. One time and one time only.

One slip up, and everyone was in hot water.

-o-o-o-o-

Kai followed silently, like a shadow. Corridors twisted around the buildings in somewhat confusing patterns, so that Kai sometime's lost his sense of left and right. Ember seemed to know exactly where she was going, leading without a single flaw. Only she didn't know that she was leading him around. _Ignorance is bliss, _Kai thought grimly.

What felt like hours later, but in fact could only have been around thirty minutes, Ember came to a stop outside a door. Kai recognised it - as the one leading to Boris' office. Daniel stepped aside as she knocked. The door slid open with a resonating creak, before shutting silently. Kai facepalmed - he'd counted on being able to get into the office. But there appeared to be no way in...apart from...

He grimaced. This wasn't what he had wanted to do...but he had to do it. For the love of - the good of - Ember. Jumping silently along the rafters, he soon came to a trapdoor in the ceiling. Undoing the catch and scrambling up he found himself in a small room, governed by generators of every kind and make. He ignored every single one though. _It has to be here somewhere...has got to be, it was here the last time...okay...not that one, no...GOT IT!_

What Kai had 'got' was a large vent shaft leading down into the floor below, the one he had come up from. Removing the rusting plate with ease, he squeezed in, becoming invisible to anyone who looked in as he slid down into the area below. He slammed - painfully - into the metal vent below. Growling the pain away, he sat there for several seconds to catch his breath. Then he got on his hands and knees and began to crawl. Kai knew the place inside out and he had, from previous escape attempts, gotten to know the vent system. He knew it like the back of his hand in fact. Hanging a left, he noticed a small light coming from the grille in front of him.

Kai gazed down, eyes locked on the two figures in the room. He recognised both - Ember and Boris. They appeared to be talking, but Kia couldn't hear what they were saying. It was hard to determine anything, as he could only get scraps of information where they raised their voices...

"Plan...working out fine...be here any second...heh...summon guards for the outside...inside too...can't escape this time."

Suddenly, Kai felt the grille he was on drop a few millimeters. It was only then he noticed a ring of rust all around it, making it so weak it would break any second now. Kai looked at his position. He was resting right on top of the grille, and no body parts were anywhere else. His full weight was pressing on the pained metal, crushing it.

All he remembered was the floor coming up to meet him, slamming the air out of his lungs, leaving him in a crumpled heap on the ground, moaning in agony. Then he saw Ember...coming up to him...

Kai passed out.

-o-o-o-o-

He shot up. Kai was in a small chamber, not where he'd been before...then he remembered everything. Passing out, the office. It all flooded back to him in a wave of memories. He sat back down on the quite uncomfortable seat, letting it all wash over him. In the seconds it took him to do that, someone opened the door and came in. Kai only realised he was not alone when he heard the door closing with a slam.

Ember stood before him, her eyes narrowed. Her hair was scraped back into a bun on her head, with most of it trailing down her back. Kai didn't see anything friendly about the way she was standing. Or the way she was looking at him. Filled with a sense of unease, he got up and backed away a step. Ember made no advance on him. Instead, she just watched him, as if amused by his sense of fear. And it was going through Kai's mind that something was brainwashing Ember, this wasn't like her - but at the same time, he was almost accepting the fact that Ember was gone from him. Not quite though, he just couldn't learnt to accept this.

"You're not Ember..."

"I think you will find I am Hiwitari. But I am not the Ember you know. I am a different Ember - a new, stronger, more powerful girl. My strengths have been increased dramatically by much training, my personality hardened, and all weaknesses eroded," an evil smirk played upon her lips, "And you know that, don't you?"

Kai didn't respond. He couldn't. All answers were lodged in his throat. No explanations came ot him. There was no way to say that this was all a dream. It was reality in it's harshest sense - love being turned into hatred.

A gleam caught Kai's eye. He looked, and froze. Ember was pointing a small gun straight at him. She had no expression, no emotion in her feautures. Her finger closed on the trigger.

"Ember please! No!" he yelled, his grey eyes frantic. But no-one could hear Kai. Even Ember couldn't. Her soul was nothing, her eyes still empty. Nothing remained in her.

"Goodbye." she said monotonely, holding up the gun. Then she fired.

-o-o-o-o-

AN: CLIFFIE! ZOUNDS!

Sneak Peek

_It took several seconds for him to realise what had happened. And what was happening. Blood crept down his arm, and as he collapsed, it pooled on the floor._

AN: So another chapter, woots. Now for some sleeps...me tired.


	24. Chapter 23: Comprehending

Disclaimer: I STILL don't own Beyblade. Dammit, my plan failed. MY PLAN FOR WORLD DOMINATION FAILED!

Song For This Chapter: It's Beggining To Get To Me - Snow Patrol

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

**Chapter 23 - Comprehending**

**"K**ai! Kai, where are you?"

Everyone was gathered near the entrance of the building and the surrounding grounds. Max was checking out the forest bit nearby, while Kenny and Tyson were scoping out the front of the massive church-like castle. Tyson shivered, and it wasn't just to do with the cold weather. He could feel something horrible coming out of that building, like something was warding him back, and this made him feel very uneasy.

Rally, Trixie and Ray sat nearby to them, murmuring in soft tones. Hilary was hanging nearby but ignoring them mostly. Her gaze, like Tyson's, was fixed on the building. For a second, Tyson looked over and saw that she was staring too, and thought that maybe, just maybe, they were having the exact same thought - _Kai's not likely to be alive..._

Shaking off the thought of Kai dead, he stood up and called them all in. At that precise moment Max came jogging out of the woods, his cheeks pink from cold and exhaustion. Breathing deeply, he looked at Tyson, "Buddy, he isn't in there. Haven't seen hide nor hair of him - either he isn't here at all or he's just really good at being sneaky. Which knowing Kai, he is." Tyson rolled his eyes and motioned for Max to come closer. He did, and then quite unexpectedly, Tyson grabbed him by the collar and said, "Listen Max. This is not the time for joking around."

"I wasn't-"

Tyson growled angrily, and let go. Hilary looked slightly frightened, Ray was shocked, and Rally and Trixie were just looking at each other in dibelief. This was getting to Tyson more and more. They could understand this - Kai was like a brother to him. A dysfunctional brother, sure, but they were all one family. With Ember and Kai gone in such a short period of time, everyone had been shaken up quite badly.

Then they heard the unmistakable sound of metal creaking. A crash. Silence. Everyone turned in one smooth motion to the building.

_Kai was in there._

-o-o-o-o-

It took several seconds for him to realise what had happened. And what was happening. Blood crept down his arm, and as he collapsed, it pooled on the floor. Ember lowered the gun, her face still void of all emotion. Silence bred for a short moment, and then the door slammed open. She whirled around to see Boris and Daniel behind her.

"Ember!" Boris snarled, his face retching, "What did I tell you about using the gun! You were supposed to kill him later! Now everything is going wrong...I should have never have trusted you in the first place!"

"Sir," Ember said quickly, her voice hard and snappy, "I'm afraid it was the only way. He would have probably tried to get out if I hadn't done it."

"If he got out we could have recaptured him!"

"Boris-"

A harsh slap across the cheek silenced Ember. She smashed into the floor next to Kai, her face red where she had been hit. She looked up, rage written all over her face. _Nobody silences ME, _she thought annoyedly. Just as she was getting up to retaliate, she felt a hand brush across her arm, and a small moan. Ember looked down to see Kai looking straight at her, face screwed up in agony. His arm dangled uselessly by his side.

"Didn't I kill you?" Ember growled, "No, you didn't," came the short reply, curt and breathless. "Ember, listen...please..."

"What the fuck are you thinking Hiwitari? That I'd actually listen to you and be a good girl. Pff...you're as gullible as your little friends were. And more stupid than I thought you were. Go to hell!"

"Ember...listen, I...I don't believe this is you...it isn't...right..." She remained coldly silent. Daniel walked over a few steps, but Boris thrust a hand in front of him, "No." Daniel looked at his master angrily, but backed off all the same. He knew when to break orders and when to obey them, and now was a time for obeying.

Boris then walked over to Ember and said, "Ember. Come on. Now, we have to go and train. Daniel will finish off this pest, you need to become more powerful. You need to maximise your ability, come!"

Ember didn't shift an inch, she was far too busy thinking deeply. Kai was right about something, that this wasn't right. Ember had had a drug inserted into her system that would cause her to behave completley out of character and obey whomever had administered the potion, and whoever her master told her to. But something in Kai's tone had caused her to stop and think - think about what this was all really about.

_Is this all there is to it? _Ember thought, closing her eyes, _Is this...right? Boris told me that inflicting injury and obeying him was right, but Kai is in pain. Argh...why...does this hurt? It doesn't hurt physically. It hurts...my...heart...no! I don't have a heart or a soul. I obey only Boris...do I? So many questions...precious few answers...it's impossible...I can't..._

Boris punched Ember straight in the back. She yelped in pain and slammed face down into the floor. Kai looked in shock, "Ember!"

His voice was all it took to snap Ember out of her state. _Kai was right. I'm not behaving normally. This is not what Boris said it would be! This is wrong! He's wrong! I've been on the bad side after all this time! How could I have been so stupid? And Kai's not my enemy...he's my friend._

-o-o-o-o-

AN: Hmmm...ehh...I don't really like this chapter. But what the hell, it's half past ten, I'm tired and this chapter is about as complete as it's gonna get. So...much...sleepy...

Sneak Peek

_"I'm so sorry..." she sobbed, putting her face in her hands and crying gently. He wrapped his arms around her, sharing her pain, releasing her, giving her a shoulder to cry on. "It's alright," he murmered softly in her ear, "You're not to blame."_

AN: Now...I said Saturday but it's up late Friday. I'm good with getting these when I feel like it, eh? I don't really know...anyway, please review! The review quota is...ah screw the quota. Who needs one? Not me. Not you. Not the story. So I'm going to shut up now. Yeah.


	25. Chapter 24: Comfort In A Dark Place

AN: UGH. I'm writing this just after finishing Chapter 23...I just know that I've got to go mad with writing. Otherwise I won't bother till the last minute, you guys know what I'm like! Although I may go and sleep...in a minute.

Disclaimer: Why do I keep writing these...you know the story, guys. Don't you?

Song For This Chapter: Silver Bullet - Hawthorne Heights

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

**Chapter 24 - Comfort in a Dark Place**

**B**oris slammed into the laboratory, his face an expression of the utmost rage. Daniel was quivering at his side, too scared to do anything except obey orders. Who would even dare to try and confront or do something out of line when Boris got like this? Not him, that was for sure. And almost no-one else on the planet, either. The trainees backed away, terrified.

"What went wrong?" he bellowed, sending any mice in the rafters running for their lives. Daniel squeaked a reply, "Well sir..." Boris shot his head around to glare at the boy, "IT WAS A RETORICAL QUESTION DAMMIT!" _The potion should have worked perfectly...what went wrong with the damn thing? _Daniel scurried back, towards the door, unlatching it with a trembly hand before running out of the room. His mind kept thinking that any second now, Boris was going to figure out he was out of the room. But not a sound emerged from the cold room. Not the Daniel noticed - he was too busy running for his life.

Unfortunatley for Tyson, he was right in Daniel's path. The boy came screeching to a halt, and the men started having a staring match. Each wondering who was going to crack first. Eventually, after what seemed like forever, Daniel smirked. "I figured you would come here Tyson - looking for your little buddies, huh? Well it's too late."

"What's too late Tyson?" Hilary whimpered, appearing at his side, "What's going on?" Daniel snapped his head around to look at Hilary, "Shut up bitch!" The black haired boy ignored this. His mind was thinking...thinking...what had happened?

_What started this whole thing out? So many questions! This guy obviously knows something..._with that, he stormed over to Daniel, whom was a few inches shorter than Tyson. When Tyson grappled him by the arms, he yelped slightly.

"Where's Kai?"

"I-in the d-d-dungeon. Boris told me to lock him up there, I couldn't do anything to stop him! It's not my fault, honest, please don't hurt me, just take the prisoners and go! I'm no use to you!"

"Wrong." Tyson barked, dragging Daniel by his collar to the main corridor, "You're going to show us where Kai is. And Ember, too."

-o-o-o-o-

"I'm so sorry..." she sobbed, putting her face in her hands and crying gently. He wrapped his arms around her, sharing her pain, releasing her, giving her a shoulder to cry on. "It's alright," he murmered softly in her ear, "You're not to blame."

"I'm not?" Ember choked, her voice weak and fragile-sounding, "But...how can you be like this after what I've done to you..." she continued to cry and cry. Kai held her close, shedding some tears himself. Ember was pressing slightly against his gunshot wound, which he had quickly bandaged up with his scarf. _The old thing came to some use after all..._he thought. Even so, it was still quite painful, although he didn't dare tell her. She would just cry more, and she was in enough sorrow already. How he longed to set her free of all of this pain! But he couldn't do much - just comfort her in a dark, scary world. Let her cry on his shoulder, be there for her, do whatever it took to make her smile again. But that would be a rare event after all of this had happened...in fact, Kai doubted if Ember would ever be cheerful again. Ever be her old self. This was a life changing experience, but not a good one.

Kai stroked her flame-red hair and continued whispering into her ear, "Shh...it's alright..." He rested his head on her shoulder, his own tears slightly soaking the fabric. Either Ember didn't notice, or she was just in too much pain to care. Time slowly passed in the dingy cell, minutes turning into hours. Neither of them shifted, both too exhausted - emotionally and physically. Ember's sobs slowly grew quieter, as she gently fell into a deep sleep.

Even though his own eyes were screaming at him that he needed sleep as well, he knew full well that he could not fall asleep at this moment in time. Kai needed to protect Ember, prevent her from any more pain. He'd caused her too much already, even a small amount would have made him breakdown, but this was beyond anything he could ever have imagined. Kai didn't even notice he was succumbing to sleep as well. The icy cold wind rattled the wooden door, the snow smashed into the earth outside, but nothing disturbed the two young souls inside.

That is, until a figure came in through the door in a clumsy manner. With a crash and a bang, he knocked over several metal buckets on the floor, making a crescendo of rattling and smashing that could have awakened the dead. Kai snapped awake, his grey eyes turning to the source of the noise. They widened when he saw...

"Tyson?!?"

"The one and only."

-o-o-o-o-

AN: Everyone like? I don't know why I didn't finish this chapter sooner, but I guess I needed to get my creative juices flowing again to really make a good chapter. I like this chappie, and I hope you guys do too!

_"No matter what," Kai said, smiling at the people around him, "This is a family. An odd one, I'll give you that, but we are all a family, we all care for one another. Therefore we must take revenge swift when we deem it neccesary. One of our finest has been traumatised by this..."_

_"I'm up for it, Kai," Ember spoke up, "And we will take our revenge." With a ghost of a smile to him, Ember got up and started to walk towards the door, followed by Kai, and they all trailed out. To even the odds, destroy the opposition. It was payback time._

AN: Does this last Author note mean anything to anyone? And I'd just like to say that I am very sorry for this chapter being a little later than I said it was going to be, but it's here! Woohoo! Now my fingers hurt, and I'm gonna go watch TV.


	26. Chapter 25: Vengeance

AN: Another chappie up...woot! i don't really know what to say here, except keep reviewing and reading the story!

Disclaimer: No owny anything but OCs and story, not to mention plot.

Song: Pens And Needles - Hawthorne Heights

-o-o-o-o-

**Chapter 25 - Vengeance**

**T**yson sighed slightly and leaned back against the wall. They had gotten out of the building, and had made it back into the hotel room where they were all now cramped in. For the past hour most of them had been discussing plans about how they could get revenge, but none of them had come up with anything decent. Tyson was now beginning to wonder if they could formulate a plan after all - this was a large job. But Kai may want his revenge...or not. It all depended on him.

Kai meanwhile, was sitting on the armchair, next to the other bed in the room. Ember lay, sleeping gently, on the bed next to him, her face a view of serenity. He didn't disturb her, instead just kept a watchful eye on her. He knew he was going to have to explain what happened after she had fallen asleep, why she was here and what Tyson was doing here. But all of that would be worth it - it felt so good to have her safe again. His heart felt like it was slowly mending again, as if her very safety was the glue that was sticking it back together again. Shutting his eyes, he dozed off in the chair, just as Ember's blue eyes fluttered open.

"Ugh..." she groaned, her voice sending heads turning all across the room. Kai snapped awake, sitting bolt upright in the chair. "What happened...and why am I here?" She looked dazed, confused, as one could only expect her to be after such an ordeal. The confusion in her eyes was almost overwhelming as she looked around the room at everyone.

Suddenly she was attacked by what felt like a tall mass of human form. Ember laughed when she saw Kai hugging the life out of her, almost literally. "Kai!" she giggled, her smile widening. His grey eyes looked into hers, and she saw that he had been immensly worried. Worried she was never going to wake up again, and worried that he would never be hable to hear her laugh again. She sighed gently and hugged him back, "I missed you too, buddy. What exactly happened?"

And so Kai proceeded to tell her the entire story, starting from when she had fallen asleep and Tyson came in. He went into elaborate detail, telling her about the escape from the building, the running, and finally the very humourous escapade where Tyson had had to drag the one and only Max that had almost been having a heart attack through the halls, while Ray followed, laughing his ass off all the way. She smiled gently, warmed that she had such friends who would od these things for her. For the first time in a long time, she felt like her entire family was around her.

Ember's eyes came to rest upon Rally, Trixie and Damien. Trixie sat with her back next to her, while Rally and Damien were sitting at the end of her bed. She felt an overwhelming sense of loss - these guys were her old family. _No_, she told herself, _they are my family. Anyone who can still feel some sort of need to protect me in times like this is my family. But the question is...do they still care after I had been such a fool?_ Ember could have kicked herself.

"So." Damien said slowly, struggling a little for his words, "You feeling okay?" Ember nodded. But what she really wanted to know, was, did they still accept her? "Damien...guys...listen. I know I've been a prat but-"

She was cut off, quickly and somewhat brutally by Rally, who immediatly started hugging her, tears flowing like little rivers down her cheeks. Ember was slightly suprised at this behaviour - she hadn't expected this level of emotion. But what was going on? Why was Rally acting like this when she had insulted Rally so damn badly? She looked to Kai for answers, and got one in a small look from him, like a mute conversation - _I know that they must forgive you, Ember. Who couldn't?_

"Ember, please, let's just forget the whole thing..." Rally said through sobs, "We are all a family here. We don't need our lives to be ruled by little tiffs we have had."

Ember smiled. She was right. Kai followed suit, and stood up.

"No matter what," Kai said, smiling at the people around him, "This is a family. An odd one, I'll give you that, but we are all a family, we all care for one another. Therefore we must take revenge swift when we deem it neccesary. One of our finest has been traumatised by this..."

"I'm up for it, Kai," Ember spoke up, "And we will take our revenge." With a ghost of a smile to him, Ember got up and started to walk towards the door, followed by Kai, and they all trailed out. To even the odds, destroy the opposition. It was payback time.

All trailed out, however, except Trixie. She remained behind, still staring at that one peice of wall. She had heard the conversation from behind her, and now she hated to admit it, but she could feel tears coming up to her eyes and she realised with a certianty that she hadn't had in ages, that Rally and Kai were both right. They were a family. And she had been a cold hearted with towards one of her own. She couldn't bear it. Trixie just couldn't bear it any more. Tears flowed in a hot stream down her cheeks, as the resonation of it set into her mind. She was a traitor.

But even traitors, she would soon learn, can be forgiven.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

AN: Well, well, a chapter up after so long. My god. This is turning out to be a fun escapade eh? Well...I'm sorry for the fact that this chapter is so God damn short. But I can't really come up with anything else.

Sneak Peek

_Murmurings began to spread around the room as the fog cleared. "It's him!" someone called. Boris looked, his eyes bulging out of their sockets, at the figure before him. It began to move, the cold, resonating steps were now the only sound that could be heard. The figure glared at Boris, slits of grey glaring at him with an anger so pure..._

AN: That's it for now. Until later!

Tyrila Anios xxx


	27. Chapter 26: Fight To The Finish

AN: I'd just like to say thank you to all whom have reviewed and read this story, and thank you to all who helped me with ideas (e.g Pippa, my cousin Nick and my buddy Dan) and lastly, thank you to my parents for giving me the confidence to write.

Disclaimer: OWNY BEYBLADE ME NOT.

Song: It's Beggining To Get To Me - Snow Patrol

-o-o-o-o-

**Chapter 26 - Fight To The Finish**

**B**oris ran through the halls, heart racing. The guards hadn't seen anyone go by. Kai and his gang must still be inside somwehere, and he didn't care how long it took for him to flush them out. They were going to be found. It had been several minutes since he had alerted the guards to the missing presence, and whatever it took he was going to find them. They couldn't have gone far...

...could they?

There was no time to dwell on it. He had to find those prisoners.

-o-o-o-o-

Kai raced along those same, eerie corridors, clutching Ember's hand as they both ran on towards the main computer room. She lagged behind slightly, but Kai pulled her along with him. No words were exchanged as they had both grasped the severity of the situation. Footsteps clanged loudly against the metallic floor, the echoes fading into the darkness. His breath was harsh and shallow, and although he may need medical attention he wasn't going to give into Boris. No way.

The rest of them panted along behind. Rally looked around, eyes scanning the rear of the group, "Hey!" she yelled, "Where's Trixie, wasn't she supposed to be following us?" Damien looked round too, "Aw nertz! She was as well...so where is she?" No-one answered this question, neither did Damien or Rally ask it again. They conitnued on, into the depths of the building.

Several minutes later, trouble was spotted ahead. Max glared at the guards with a resolution only someone who knew how horrible something like this was could. "Go ahead!" he yelled at the others, "I'll finish these guys off!" Rally and Damien glared at him, both saying in unison, "You are not doing this alone!" Max looked to his left and right, glacing at the figures next to him. He smirked gently, and then turned around to where Kai, Ember, Ray, Tyson and Hillary were all still standing. "Didn't you hear me?" he said with growing annoyance, "I said go!" Kai nodded, and raced off, taking everybody but Rally and Damien with him. He took one last glance at their dissapearing figures, before turning round to face the guards.

More trouble was not far ahead. Kai had no idea how it had happened, but somehow he and Ember had gotten seperated from Tyson, Hillary and Ray in the maze of corridors. He swore underneath his breath - this had been part of Boris' plan. _Together we stand, divided we fall. _The saying came in loud and clear, dissipating the little hope for the purple-haired one's life.

Nothing he did to try and remember what halls they had gone down helped in the slightest. Partly because he couldn't remember, and partly because he didn't want to in the first place. All Kai wanted was for Boris to pay, and he wanted to inflict as much pain on Boris as he could personally. His only worry at that time was that Ember could get dragged into the fight, but he quickly pushed that thought out of his mind. He would never let the sixteen-year-old redhead get hurt, it had happened before and Kai was determined that it would never happen again.

Finally they both came to a door. Ember looked at Kai, worry in her beautifully baby-blue eyes. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

"What other choice do I have?" he replied cautiously, "I want our revenge and this is pretty much the only way to get it." Kai looked at her. For a few seconds their gazes locked, and Kai could feel his heart racing faster with every passing second. Neither of them looked away, and he didn't want to. He felt as if he could look into those pools of sapphire forever...

But Ember broke off the gaze, and he put a hand on her shoulder. "Let's go in..." she said shortly, walking towards the slab of metal with resolution in her tone. Kai felt a barrage of emotions hit his mind - first sadness that she had broken their gaze, then pride that she could be so strong in such a situation. And finally there was an undefinable emotion playing about with him, calming him and exciting him and making him feel dazed at the same time. Kai had been thinking about how to give a meaning to this feeling that had slowly been taking ahold of his heart, bit by bit, and he couldn't think of a single explanation. Except...

He had never thought it would come to him looking at the one door, in his mind, that may be the answer to the question. Standing in front of it with his heart racing as he gazed. No meaning could be determined at this moment in time, but he was certian that would soon all come out. Just as soon as Ember opened that metallic door in front of her, he would open the only remaining reason in his mind. Kai may not believe it, but it was the only thing that it could be.

As she reached for the handle, so did he. Closing her fingers around it, he repeated the motion. And then turning the handle and opening the door...

Kai Hiwitari knew, all of a sudden, what this emotion was. What it had been all along. What he had refused to accept as it was not in his nature, and the only thing he could not understand about himself. Realisation hit him, as did a strong burst of the emotion he thought he would never feel.

-o-o-o-o-

"Ack!" one of the workers collapsed to the ground. Boris glared at him, then tried to look around. He couldn't see anything. "A smoke bomb..." he muttered, "I only give them to trainees..." Boris' eyes widened as he realised who the two shadowy figures were at the door. One of them was significantly an inch taller than the other, and the shorter one was obviously female. The male figure was impossible to make out through the properties of the smoke, but Boris was certian who it was.

Silence echoed around the room as every worker stalled in their places. Everyone's attention was focused on the people in the doorway. Everything was still blurry, but now feautures could be more closely identified...

Murmurings began to spread around the room as the fog cleared. "It's him!" someone called. Boris looked, his eyes bulging out of their sockets, at the figure before him. It began to move, the cold, resonating steps were now the only sound that could be heard. The figure glared at Boris, slits of grey glaring at him with an anger so pure...

Kai slammed a punch into Boris' face. Before Boris could react, the boy had taken another swipe at him - this time a side kick to the stomach. There was a sickening crack as the older man rammed the young boy's leg with his foot, causing a yelp of pain. Ember gasped, stumbling backwards, straight into the arms of one of the guards that had sneaked up during the confusion. Another scream, this time from Ember, sent Kai's head spinning around to look upon his friend caught in the arms of a burly guard...but she implored him, with her eyes - _Keep fighting Kai! I'll be fine. It's you I'm worried about! _He nodded curtly, then took an uppercut punch straight into Boris' jawbone.

Meanwhile, Max and the two of Team Dragoness members had taken out the guards and were speeding towards where screams were heard. "Oh God, oh GOD!" Rally cried, "They have to be in so much pain...how are we going to stop them from getting anymore hurt than they already are?" Max didn't reply, while Damien reassured her that everything was going to be alright, that they would get out of this alive and almost unharmed. Even though he was usually optomistic, Max had his doubts about wether or not that was going to be the truth here today...

-o-o-o-o-

AN: MWAHAHA! You all must hate me for leaving it on a bit of a cliffie, but I just had to put one in there. Plus, I couldn't really add anything more without it feeling...sorta not right. And this chapter is long enough anyway -faints-

Sneak Peek:

_Despite the wounds, he kept on fighting. Ember looked at her friend with recognition of his protective instinct in her eyes. There was no doubt about it - Hiwitari was in too deep for him. Any second now, he could be knocked out, or worse..._

AN: Now, I am so going to get started on the next chapter. I feel so pumped with creative energy I could die...! But I can't do much on it since I leave for a party in about half an hour. So I'll do my best, keep reading, and R&R as always!

Tyrila Anios xxx

P.S: Yes, there is ACTUALLY some fluff in here. I know it's not great fluff, but it's still Kai/Ember FLUFF!


	28. Chapter 27: Reunited

AN: Not much fluff, but the fluff will most likely come around next chapter. R&R! The mood's a lot lighter in this chapter, but be prepared for a little bit of a cliffie at the end. Something's going to happen that isn't in the guys' favour...and I'm not telling you what. Just read.

Disclaimer: I don't owny. Me wish me did. Me-sa no owny though.

Song: Headfirst for Halos - My Chemical Romance

-o-o-o-o-

**Chapter 27 - Reunited**

Despite the wounds, he kept on fighting. Ember looked at her friend with recognition of his protective instinct in her eyes. There was no doubt about it - Hiwitari was in too deep for him. Any second now, he could be knocked out, or worse...but she kept cheering him on. She knew he had to get out of this, he just HAD to...

Aknee to the back was enough to send him collapsing to the ground. The grey haired teenager did nothing to help the man off the ground, instead he kicked the motionless body harshly. He glared down on the figure and snarled, "How does it feel, you bastard?"

No response from Boris, except a groan of pain. "Rhetorical question, dumbass. If you had more than one cell for a brain you'd know that by now." Ember had wriggled free of the guard long before Kai had beaten Boris, and was now by his side, looking down on the purple-haired one with hatred in her eyes. The guards, as well as all of the workers, had fled when they saw Boris tumble, and now it was only the three of them in a room that was physically scarred from all the fighting. Computer screens were smashed, chairs overturned, and even a small fire burned a stack of papers that had been set alight by a stray spark. Ember moved over to them and stamped out the golden flame with one foot. Kai simply looked down on the man who had tortured his best friend.

Silence continued on, but then Ember heard something. Someone was calling her name...and at that very second, Rally dashed around the corner and enveloped the redhead in a big hug. Rally couldn't stop crying - so much had been happening she didn't think she would ever stop. The past few weeks and days had been heart wrenching, and all the blonde wanted was for her best friend to never leave her side ever again. She feared if she let go, Ember was just going to vanish into thin air.

Ember returned the hug and smiled, burying her head in Rally's shoulder. "I'm not going anywhere for a while Rally, don't worry. I think I've had enough adventure for a few years, or maybe even a lifetime. All I wanna do now is just go home. What do you think of that, huh?"

Rally smiled at her friend, breaking off the hug just as Damien and Max rounded the corner. Damien hugged Ember quickly, and then much to Kai's surprise he quickly hugged Kai as well, muttering something about him being very thankful for saving Ember's life all of these times. It was then that his eyes drifted down to the wound on Kai's arm. Those same eyes widened as Kai looked at him, rolling his silvery-grey eyes.

"It's nothing, really. I might be a little bit out of it, may need a bit of medical help to stop infection and some of that, but apart from that I couldn't be much better right now." Max grinned, noticing how light and almost carefree Kai's mood had become now that everything was pulling together and Ember was safe. He watched as Kai walked over to Ember, smiled and hugged her tightly, and continued to overlook them as Ember returned the hug with just as much force. The mood had gone from dark, miserable and almost suicidal to just plain happy in a matter of hours. Why didn't he have a reason to be happy? Ember was safe, Boris was defeated and to be honest with himself, Max was EXHAUSTED. All of this adventure had worked his socks off, and he couldn't wait to go home and just relax, feel safe for once and have a good laugh with everybody.

Tyson, Ray and Hilary walked into the room now, Ray leading them with a _very _angered expression on his face, and who could really blame him - for the past hour or so, he must have been hearing (and watching) those two arguing their heads off. Tyson and Hilary took no notice of the Chinese boy's rage, they were far too caught up in their arguement over who's fault it was that they had gotten themselves lost. Tyson said it was Hilary because of her bad eyesight, apparently, and Hilary said it was because Tyson had a feeling that there was a 'shortcut' and had forced them to go down that route. Ray looked like he would slap both of them if they did not shut up fast. He noticed the grey haired 17-year-old, and with that he stormed over to Kai, glared at him and growled, "You just had to leave me alone with the world's most argumentative people, didn't you?"

Something about the expression on Ray's face caused Kai to burst out laughing, clutching his sides with mirth. Ray just stood there, hands on his hips looking like an old woman, lecturing him about 'proper conduct' and most things that many people had never even heard about. Laughter was contagious, apparently, because at the sight of Ray looking like a housewife Tyson, Hilary, Ember and pretty much everyone else in the room starting to chuckle, giggle, and just plain laugh their heads off.

A groan from the ground caused everyone to stop laughing and turn around sharply, eyes lingering on Boris. The man in question coughed and sat up, glaring at them all with rage in his eyes. Kai walked over, the mood around him turning from laughter and joy to hatred and rage within seconds. Ember shivered - was it just her, or did the room feel a lot colder all of a sudden?

Smoke suddenly poured out of vents on the side of the room. Everyone's attention shifted off of Boris, and this gave him the edge he needed to get away, scrambling onto his feet and into the thickening smog. Everyone was clouded, and Kai couldn't see a thing. "I know you're here Boris!" he snarled, whipping his head left and right to try and find the man. Boris was nowhere to be found, and...neither was Ember! She had been right next to him, following him, and now all of a sudden she was gone. He called her name out time and time again, looking for her, longing for her just to appear at his side as though nothing had happened...

-o-o-o-o-

AN: Do I sense a cliffy? Heehee. She's gone again, but where, and what happened to Boris and the others? You don't know? Too bad, you're going to have to wait till the next chapter.

Sneak Peek

_Her blue eyes were filled with terror, and as Kai came skidding round the corner she screamed. The silver handgun in Boris' hand was bloodstained, sending Kai reeling. Was it...his mother's blood?_

AN: I know you want me to hurry up and finish by Christmas, but that seems almost impossible...I'll try my best though.

Tyrila Anios xxx


	29. Chapter 28: Losing Sight

AN: Wow...the last chapter was so freaking awesome I can't contain myself! I know, I'm stroking my own ego, but who cares right now? I feel very very happy. As in completley hyper happy! And this one, may I remind you, is one of my favourites. I delicatley details just about everything I've wanted to write for months. It's got fluff, agnst, romance...jebus the list goes on.

Disclaimer: Owning Beyblade is not my profession, Captian.

Song: Your Call - Secondhand Serenade

-o-o-o-o-

**Chapter 28 - Losing Sight**

**H**e screamed her name to the smog, but there was no response. Silence reigned around him, and even though Kai called out the names of his other teammates there was no reply from them either. He felt, once again, truly alone. Nothing measured up to feeling of panic flooding his chest, keeping him on the tips of his toes. "I have to calm myself down, otherwise Ember could be hurt..."

A scream snapped him out of it. Ember's soft voice was yelling for help, the pain and fear in her voice making him choke back tears of pain, and also snapping his heart slowly in two with every syllable she cried. "Ember, keep calling! I'm coming for you!" He ran left and right, feeling slowly around the walls for an exit. He had to resist the urge to jump into the air in truimph when he found the metal door. It was locked tightly, and he cursed, his voice a growling low. A sheen of silver in the lock caught his eye - Boris had left the key in the mechanism when he had ran through. Kai was confused how anyone could be so stupid to leave it in the lock, but he ferverently thanked the gods for not giving Boris more than one brain cell. He turned the key in the lock and with a loud clunking noise, the door unlocked and it swung open. Kai dashed through the opening, calling Ember's name. She replied with a scream, from a short distance away. When he was close, the boy stopped as he heard the chilling tone of Boris' voice echoing.

"Ember my dear, you don't need Hiwitari. He doesn't care about you, really - he's only using you. That bastard couldn't care about anybody, not even his own mother." Ember was almost crying as she yelled back...

"He does care! You're the one with no heart, Boris! You KILLED Racheal!" The eyes facing the girl narrowed with a cruelty only a murderer could have. "How did you know the boy's mother's name?" he hissed. "He trusted me enough, so he told me about what you did to Racheal. And I could not be more disgusted you sickening excuse for a human being!"

With a glint in his eye, Boris reached into his pocket, and pulled out a weapon.

Her blue eyes were filled with terror, and as Kai came skidding round the corner she screamed. The silver handgun in Boris' hand was bloodstained, sending Kai reeling. Was it...his mother's blood? His eyes filled with tears as he whispered no, his voice barely more than a breath of air. Time was repeating itself.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, Kai got a burst of energy. He didn't know where it had come from, and he didn't really care where it had come from. All he cared about was Ember's safety, far ahead of his own. This fueled his instincts, driving him into a sprint towards the pair. In the final seconds before he reached them, Kai noticed Ember begin to run towards him, yelling his name. He saw Boris raise the gun and roar with anger. Kai could see the man's finger tightening on the trigger, and knew if he could only go faster, if he could only find a way, he just had a few more metres to go, he was almost there...

Too late.

The gunshot echoed through the hall, followed by a scream. Her body crumpled, blood seeping out of the wound. Time froze, Kai froze. Nothing and nobody moved, since Boris had run off some time before. His legs moved slowly as he walked towards the body of his friend. He kneeled down next to her and gently held her hand. _Pulse,_ he thought automatically, and he placed his hand on her wrist. Waiting.

No beat, no steady thump thump. He could feel no reassuring motion underneath his palm, and he hiccoughed once.

Was she...dead? After all he had done to protect her?

"No." he mumbled, feeling his entire body tremble, his hands shake uncontrollably. Tears gathered in the crevices of his eyes, and he felt their banks almost overflowing. Kai waited for the inevitable breakdown.

It came harshly, sending him reeling. Salty water dripped out of his eyes, ran in streams down his cheeks and dripped onto Ember's neck. Knowing she may be dead in front of him and Kai couldn't do anything to bring her back broke his heart. It snapped him in two, for the second time in his life he felt as if he had lost everything worth living for. Except this time, it was far more pronounced, he could explain why but he wasn't ready to accept that Ember Makotina, the woman who meant the world to him, was no longer in the land of the living.

He buried his face, thinking of her final moments. How scared she had been, the horror of the violence of her death. No-one deserved to die like that no matter what and Kai felt like he couldn't stand it any more. He wanted to shoot himself, kill himself, get rid of the pain quickly and suddenly, join her wherever she was. He felt like he couldn't live without the young woman, if she was gone he would have to be gone too. His feelings for her had started small and unnoticed, even by him, but they had slowly begun to work themselves up into something more meaningful after weeks of spending time with her, noticing every last beautiful thing about Ember in the way she talked, tossed her hair, laughed, and even would look at him with those gorgeous sapphire eyes, giving him the only reason he had to live anymore.

But now he had lost her. He had lost her to Boris, and the crevice in his heart that had just a week ago been filled with pure happiness was now empty once again. He was missing that one special person in his life now once more. And he had been on the verge of telling her his emotions, spilling them like water on the earth, and seeing if she accepted him or not. But now he couldn't and never would be able to.

"Ember..." Kai whispered, "You never had any idea how much you really meant to me, did you?" She didn't answer and Kai was choking on his tears as he realised that she may never do so again. He rested his head on her shoulder, whimpering as the last vestiges of hope seeped from his mind and heart. No matter how hard he tried he felt there was no hope left for him at all. But he didn't realise what was happening, not even when a pulse surged back into her wrist. Her heart began thumping, slowly recovering the life that had been lost.

Her eyes, once shut with the promise of death, fluttered open in a slow and painful motion. Everything hurt. She groaned softly, and this was the only thing that got through to Kai. He looked up at the young girl, his eyes filled with disbelief. Then he wrapped his arms firmly around her, sobbing loudly into the crevice of her neck as all of the hope that had left him barely a few moments earlier now came rushing back with abundance.

"I thought I'd lost you..."

"You didn't lose me," she replied softly, "But I did come close to it. Thank you, for everything. You always have been there to protect me, and I have a suspicion that you will be there in the future as well."

He smiled weakly, then noticed she was beggining to fade into unconciousness again. Red hair spilled over his chest, shoulders and onto his stomach as her head rested against his chest. Strong arms snaked around her waist as Kai pulled her into him, sighing gently. Ember was safe - that was all he cared about now. Feelings of compassion, adoration, protectiveness spilled out of his heart as he held her close, keeping her shielded from the pain. It suddenly occured to him that he had wanted to be like this with her ever since the night before, when he had held her in her arms, just wanting her to feel safe. Now she was, and he couldn't be any happier than he was at that moment. Everything felt right as he buried his face in her hair and sighed deeply, caressing her side.

Looking onto her he smiled, his emotion from before resurfaced, and he suddenly felt his cheeks growing pink. He wasn't uncomfortable with it as he lowered his head to her ear and whispered to her, "Ember?" She didn't respond, maybe it was better if she didn't. All Kai could think about was what he wanted - no, needed to say to her.

And now the moment was here, and he had to seize it. Running his hand through her hair gently, he brushed a strand away from her face, revelling in her beauty as he silently gathered his emotions before whispering so softly he could barely hear it himself...

"Ember, I love you."

With that he tilted her head towards his, and gently brushed her lips with a ghost of a kiss.

-o-o-o-o-

AN: Romantic factor TWENTY SEVEN. Out of ten. God damn I had a lot of fun with this chapter, and as I said before...I'm hyper with excitement and SOOOOO happy.

Sneak Peek

_With a soft whisper he woke her up, murmuring in her ear, "Ember, wake up." Her eyes slowly opened, and she blinked several times before she focused. Kai held her in his arms, looking down on her with a soft smile on his face._

_"Rise and shine, sleeping beauty..."_

AN: Kekeke! Hyper as I said before, half because the romantic-ness of this chapter is making so happy and half because it's only about a week till CHRISTMAS! I'll update soon, I promise.

Tyrila Anios xxx


	30. Chapter 29: Lost Memories

AN: I like the way a few people are reviewing each chaptery :D Thank you very much, Rawr-Yer-Face and thank you AnimeCrazy88. You two are apparently my biggest fans. Others maybe just can't be bothered to review I s'pose. So, you know what? As a little more boost for your reviews, first person who reviews this chapter gets a one-shot dedicated to them, of any anime or show, or any whatever in any sense they want. First to review, I'll reply with my instructions on how to give me the info I need as soon as I get the review :)

Disclaimer: I've asked Santa, and he says no, I can't and never will own the show. I can own my OCs and this story though.

Song: Half Alive - Secondhand Serenade

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

**Chapter 29 - Lost Memories**

**H**er blue eyes remained still, and no sound could be heard except for the steady beep of hospital machines. Kai sat by her looking at her features with a loving caress. He held Ember's hand, stroking small circles on her palm with his thumb to relax her. Tyson stood in the doorway, musing over the events unfolding in front of him. _He really does love her..._he thought simply, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. It was sad that Ember was so ill but the fact she had Kai to protect her was all he needed for reassurance that she would be okay.

Hilary came in with a small styrofoam cup of tea for Tyson and handed it to him. Looking over the scene she smiled with him and then whispered in his ear, "Think we should go over there?" He shook his head and smiled. Kai seemed perfectly happy, for some reason Tyson thought that going into the room would break the glass bubble to contentment that seemed to cover both of the room's occupants.

All she did was nod, then walk outside to where everyone else was sitting. Rally looked up and asked, "Are they okay?" She seemed in a far better mood than she had been before, when she had first learnt that Ember was lying in the hospital with a gunshot wound to her left side. Hilary nodded, and a small sigh of relief came from Damien. "Well she could be nothing but okay," Ray said softly, "She has Kai with her, and if I know him well enough, I'd say Ember is going to be absolutley fine." Max nodded to this statement of fact and truth, leaning back in his seat before taking a small bite out of a chocolate bar.

The tap of high heels caught everyone's attention, and they all moved their heads simultaneously to the subject that had caused the interruption. A very embarrased looking Trixie stood in front of them, her hands in her pockets and her gaze fixated on the shiny hospital floor. Rally got up, and hugged her in greeting. The black haired girl returned the gesture of friendship, not the slightest hint of happiness on her face. Damien got up and led Trixie by her arm to the entrance of the ward room. When her eyes caught on the tender scene before her, she sighed and smiled, resting her eyelids.

"I'll talk to her later. But...it's just..."

"It's alright." The sudden deep voice startled her out of her sense of solitude, to see a very calm and softened Kai standing before her, eyes half open with a small hint of welcoming blossoming in them. "She'll be waking up in a minute, I know it, and you can talk to her then. Or should I say now. But let me just tell you this, Trixie - Ember's changed. She's gone from ruthless and extravangant to silent and timid in under a month, which is a big shift. So, can I ask you to go easy on her?"

Trixie grinned emotionlessly, "Yes."

With that he led her into the bleach-smelling room. Ember's long hair cascaded all over the pillow, and the front of it was mussed up considerably. Her skin was pale and almost white; how could anyone be optomistic about her condition like Kai was? The question was answered when the boy walked over to her bed and stroked her cheek lightly with his fingertips, his eyes so readable they were like a book. _So this is what love, in action, looks like. _Trixie thought, and then smiled. She couldn't be happier for Ember at that single moment in time. Sure, she was cooped up in a hospital (and Ember HATED hospitals) but she had Kai. The man who loved her. The teenager who would do anything for her no matter what, even take a gunshot. It was obvious Kai would die for the redhead if it was needed, but Trixie couln't see how one could live without the other. They were like a circle, completing each other with simple and astonishing accuracy. Soulmates till the end of time.

With a soft whisper he woke her up, murmuring in her ear, "Ember, wake up." Her eyes slowly opened, and she blinked several times before she focused. Kai held her in his arms, looking down on her with a soft smile on his face.

"Rise and shine, sleeping beauty..."

She smiled, sighing softly. "I'm not that beautiful Kai, but you sure know how to make someone feel better." He chuckled in response, holding her hand, for comfort himself and to comfort her. She didn't object - she needed all of the attention and TLC she could get. Ember then looked at Trixie, her smile not fading as she beckoned the girl over to the bedside. Kai leaned back, not letting go of her hand, but just giving Ember and Trixie enough space to sort things out with each other.

"I'm so sorry..." Trixie started, and then continued, "I can't believe I haven't been beside you through this whole ordeal. You know that if I could turn back the hands on the clock I would stay beside you the whole way. I needed you, and the fact that you didn't need me through all of that is just proof that I am an idiot. I need to let you go more, you need far more space. You're growing up a lot faster than I thought you would be. It seems like only yesterday you were the ten-year-old I first met in the NYC orphanage...so I just want to make up and forget."

Ember whispered softly a reply, "I know. And I forgive you, I understand. Let's move on from this whole disaster, and never let anything so small as an arguement come between us again, okay?"

"You're so strong, buddy. Kai must have been training you again." Ember laughed, but stopped when she felt pain coursing up through her side, "Ow..."

"Understatement of the century, sweetie."

Trixie smiled once again, then left the room, leaving Kai and Ember to sit in sweet serenading silence. No-one talked as the minutes ticked by, no-one wanting to. There were no words to be said. Eventually, an hour after Trixie had left, Kai looked at Ember and smiled. Her eyes were drifting shut slowly. "Ember?" he murmered, striking her hand.

"Yes, I'm here Kai. What is it?"

Now was the tough part. He had to ask the question about whether she remembered anything about the night before. "I need to ask you this," he stated almost inaudiably, "Do you remember anything about last night? The police are going to want your statement if we're going to convict _him _of attempted murder, as well as the murder of Rebecca..." Both of them didn't say anything else for a short time. They were too caught up in painful memories. At least, Kai was...

"I...don't remember anything."

He froze. She didn't remember what happened? She didn't remember the fight, or anything after it? She didn't remember him telling her that he was in love with her? This was the worst case scenario he could imagine.

Seeing the dissapointment and shock on his face, she quickly back up, "I'm sorry I can't be any help, but that's just the problem I'm facing here. I don't remember a thing about what happened after we got into the room. The fight I remember slightly but anything else afterwards..." her voice faded and she shook her head sadly. Kai felt bitter dissapointment creep into his heart, emotions that had been on high alert were sent down with no apology from his mind. He didn't say anything as he got up and walked out of the room.

Ember's soft blue eyes followed him, tears congregating. He was mad at her for not remembering, she knew it. Something important must have happened when her mind was fuzzy that she couldn't remember. And that only hurt her all the more as she cried, alone, in the darkening hospital chamber.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

AN: Sorry for being a bit agnsty here, but it was needed. It'll get better for our poor duo, you just wait and see.

Sneak Peek

_Tears rolled down his cheeks, every part of him breaking simulatneously. His mind, his heart, his soul...each cracked in two. Kai let the depression loose as he laid his head in his hands, wet drops of salty water seeping through his fingers to land on the cold sands, each drop a cry for help. A cry for love. _

AN: Now that I'm updating regularly again, and the story is nearing its end...wow. Never actually thought I would acheive this, but thank you to the reveiwers who have made my happiness that this is being appreciated possible. So review, and don't forget about the whole first-reviewer-gets-a-dedication thing!

Tyrila Anios xxx


	31. Chapter 30: Tears Of Trouble

AN: And the winner of the Dedication Competition is...AnimeCrazy88! I will PM you as soon as possible with the details, in fact I'll do it before I post this chappie. Anyway, thank you for everyone who reviewed and tough luck to those who didn't review first - you'll have a chance to make your comeback soon. And in interest to your question about why she forget everything, AnimeCrazy88...the bullet hit a nerve that sent short-circuiting signals to her brain that caused her to forget everything that happened in a short time frame, before and after the bullet hit. There is no scientific way to retrieve these memories, but maybe she will remember, I dunno. I plan to have more competitions going on by the new year, but for now I better just get on with the chapter because I'm just ranting and -gets hit by brick- OWCHIE! PAIN!

Disclaimer: Santa STILL won't let me make a slave out of Ray...or own the show.

Song: Broken - Secondhand Serenade

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

**Chapter 30 - Tears Of Trouble**

**H**e ran. There was no other way to escape the pain, but it was catching up fast, digging at his heels like a vicous dog. Kai held back the tears as he crashed through the forest at an undeterminable pace. If he could run forever, he could escape from the heartbreak and get away from this horrible world. Every step felt like a mile, slamming into the ground with the force of a thousand times what he was putting in. He couldn't keep it up, he had to slow and stop somewhere.

A small clearing provided this place - a small stream trickled by in the moonlight, the beams reflecting gently, providing a small picture of the moon on the water's surface. A willow tree dipped it's branches into the bending current, distorting the image of the moon as it trailed across the silvery picture. Kai stopped, leaned his back against the willow tree and sunk to the ground. Things were moving too fast for him, and the pain was catching up fast...out of nowhere, the monster he had been running from finally caught up with him. Kai sunk his head into his hands and cried.

He cried for everything. He cried for her forgetting the moment he had whispered his affection in her ear, he cried for poor Ember sitting alone in that hospital, not knowing where he was or when he'd come back. Kai cried for the fact that without her statement, Boris could never be convicted of attempted murder on her, and murder on his mother. He felt let down, deflated, as if the world was looking on him and laughing. The skies started to cloud over, and began weeping with him. Looking up Kai yelled to the heavens; "IS THIS A BLOODY JOKE? DO YOU WANT ME TO SUFFER? DO YOU?"

Continuing on with his run, he splashed the river and the picture of the moon out of place as he flew on towards the sands and the long strip of water he knew as the sea. Accidently he tripped on a small rock jutting out of the sands, then he flew forwards and landed with a crash in the soft, but hard beach. Tears rolled down his cheeks, every part of him breaking simulatneously. His mind, his heart, his soul...each cracked in two. Kai let the depression loose as he laid his head in his hands, wet drops of salty water seeping through his fingers to land on the cold sands, each drop a cry for help. A cry for love.

The cry that he felt would now never be answered.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Ember walked slowly out of the hospital into the glaring sunlight. She covered her eyes while Rally chuckled, "I know. They always make those wards too damn dark, girl." Trixie followed her by her side, contemplating this and began talking to Rally about how she might start a petition to see wether the lights should be made slightly brighter, and Rally was replying with how the darkness was needed for some patients when Max came up. He looked concernedly at them all and said, "Have you seen Kai?"

At the mention of the blue haired bladers name, Ember stiffened slightly and shook her head monotonously. Max looked worried and raised an eyebrow. "I haven't seen him," she stated, her voice cold, "Not for a week."

Max did a double-take. Kai? Not by her the whole way? _This is not like him, and she knows it. So what's bugging him? He's been acting wierd lately, maybe that's a reason..._he was shaken out of his thought when Rally whispered in his ear, "I don't know what's going on between Ember and Kai, but I really want them to just make up, because" she looked around to make sure Ember couldn't hear her, and lowered her voice even more: "It is **so **obvious Kai loves her. I don't want anything to destroy something that pure."

He smiled, realisation flooding his veins. _He loves her. It's obvious why he never wanted her to get hurt in any way, shape or form now. He's so in love with that girl that he'd die for Ember. _Then a small bout of sadness hit..._Something must have happened to make Kai mad at her. But not a million fights could possibly make Kai hate her!_

Ember led the silent troup towards the orphanage, although everything in her body and mind was screaming at her to go to the dojo and see Kai. It was obvious by the way Max sounded urgent that he wasn't there, though..._So where is he? _she thought desperatley. Several very painful and bloody scenarios crossed her mind, and while her face was calm and complete as a summer's night, her emotions were running riot. Panic flooded her, almost so much that she couldn't stand or walk any more. She shivered and kept on going, the early autumn breezes playing around with strands of her hair.

As she walked up the steps to the orphanage she turned around and looked out over the long path. She saw no-one but who she was with, no Kai running towards them. Ember sighed...she had felt so sure he would be coming to explain what was going on. Was he safe? Was she safe any more? Over the weeks she had been held captive, held at gunpoint and even had been shot at. She was starting to think that she wasn't safe here. Kai couldn't be safe with her around...was she endangering their lives? Ember would never want anything to happen to those she considered her family. And her big brother, Kai - he was in the most trouble.

She didn't have a choice now. There was only one way out. _I just hope it's the right one..._she thought sadly, as she went through the large double doors into the orphanage.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Kenny tapped away on his computer, writing up a report to give to Mr Dickinson on the whole Boris mission. He sighed and leaned back in his chair, thinking there was nothing else he could really put into the report with it seeming over-zealous. Saving, Kenny looked up as Ray came into the room. "Have you found Kai yet?" came the question from the brown haired computer geek. With a shake of his head, the boy in front of Kenny sat down in the armchair to Kenny's left, then said softly, "Kenny, do you think that Kai will ever tell her?"

The brunette shook his head and sighed sadly, "No. From what I can theorize, he told her when she was knocked out, and now she can't remember everything his courage is gone." Silence reigned before he continued, "But there is still a slim chance he could talk to her about this. We just have to wait until we find him, and then we can pester him all we like to tell her." Ray smiled, reassured, then looked over to the doorway. Ray wasn't sure, but there might be a figure behind that...

His question was answered as Rally came in, tears streaking down her face. Ray got up and walked over to her, holding her in his arms as she cried into his shoulder. "What's wrong? Has something happened to Ember?" he asked softly, and when Rally told him he was stunned, "It's Ember. She's leaving the country, and the orphanage!"

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

AN: Kinda short, but this is just a joining chapter. Next chapter will be far better, I promise. Oh, and AnimeCrazy88, I PMed you with the details.

Sneak Peek

Running up to her, his eyes wild, Kai embraced the redhead in a hug so close and warm that she felt she couldn't be happier. Tears trickled down her cheeks as she held him, not ever willing to let go. But she knew she had to tell him WHY she was leaving. When she looked up, she could sense he wanted to know, He needed to know why.

AN: So there you have the chapter. I didn't proof-read this one, so sorry. Anyway, see you either tommorow on the 23rd or on the 24th.

Tyrila Anios xxx


	32. Chapter 31: Last Chance

AN: The last proper chapter (that is not the epilouge) is THIS ONE. Wow...I am amazed at my own dedication to finish this damn thing now. Christmas Eve is TODAY! JOY! I can barely control myself! EEEEEEEE! God has smiled upon me, no doubt about it. And now on with the chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, except for OCs and all that.

Song: Steven - Senses Fail

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

**Chapter 31 - Last Chance**

**"A**re you sure this is what you want?" Trixie sobbed, her hair sticking to the streams of tears on her cheeks. Ember didn't answer at first, simply packed several more of her shirts into her suitcase before turning and nodding, "Yes this is what I have to do. I can't let anyone get hurt, and if it means I have to leave, then so be it. I don't wanna leave but I have to. I'm so sorry."

Damien looked at his feet, despair welling up in his heart. It felt like she was betraying them, leaving them all alone after they had welcomed her into their hearts. But he knew that wasn't really it - he knew that it was Boris' fault she was leaving. The threat of him coming back to finish her off hovered over her mind and heart like a death sentence. Damien shuddered - Boris **was** a death sentence, and the fact she could be so strong when she had almost died barely a week before was astonishing. The worst part was that they couldn't find Kai. He could only imagine what the look on the guy's face would be when he learnt that the woman that he loved had gone without so much as a goodbye to him.

Trixie took a small package out of a box underneath her bed, "Ember, I know that you want to remember us. So me and the guys clubbed together and got you this..." Ember took it and inspected the wrapping. It was beautifully wrapped, the paper pink and shiny with small hearts in red glitter sparkling on the surface. She smiled, "Let me guess - Rally chose the paper, right?" Trixie nodded and smiled.

When she shelled the present carefully, she saw the velvet box inside. Opening it slowly her mouth dropped open when she saw the gorgeous necklace inside. It wasn't like what anyone had ever given her before. The diamond necklace was so full of life and sparkle that she could swear she heard angels singing. When she held it up to the light, it was transfixing the way the reflection seemed to dance on the wall to a quick but steady beat.Her eyes filled with tears as she looked at all three of them (Rally had just come in the door). As Damien came up to help her put it on, she felt a rush of appreciation for her friends - they were a family to her. But when Kai was missing, everything had a sad moment...

She almost choked on her sobs as she sat down on the rough bed covers, everything flooding into her heart so fast, so furiously that the young girl was completley overwhelmed. Ember felt she needed to shut down and just shut off her emotions for a while but that couldn't be possible for her, nor would it ever be possible. Her switch was taped in the on position and everything that she had been holding back these past few hours and days came spilling out of her eyes as salty diamonds of tears.

Ember felt her teammates' comforting arms around her, stroking her back and shoulders, feeling her pain. Her fingers played with the necklace as the sobs slowly died. A few moments later she embraced her friends, everything flooding into her body at the speed of sound as the relief hit her. She had her friends and a short time left before she had to say goodbye - and she planned to enjoy every single second of it.

The only thing that was missing was a certian grey-eyed boy. And that one missing peice of the puzzle was enough to make her feel like all of her was gone into the wind.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

The icy morning breeze that signalled the end of the summer months and the beggining of the cool autumn days blew into Kai's face as he walked along the riverbank, his grey eyes focused on the ground in front of him. His shivered and drew his (brand new, his old one had been wrecked by the blood) scarf around his neck from his belt. The days of old washed over him as he wandered on, the water still shining from the September sun. Each memory that had ever been pressed into him ran amock in his mind. The day when he had his rematch with Ember, even the time they sat by the bank together and just watched the sparkles on the river bob along.

He sighed and shook his head. That all felt so far away now, when things were far less complicated and far easier to understand, think about and talk about. Now everything was so different...he'd fallen in love, that was the problem.

Even admitting he was in love with Ember had been a huge step, and telling her he loved her was even worse. Even if she didn't remember, it was the memory that defined his feelings for the young girl - for then and for eternity. Now things had taken a very harsh turn on him; after all the trouble he'd gone to, he had gathered up his courage only to lose it all again, in one single moment and one single sentence.

_"I...don't remember anything."_

At first, he had been mad at her for not remembering that one moment that he would cherish close to his heart forever, but then he had started to think about things rationally. It wasn't her fault. It was Boris'. He'd shot that gun, made her forget everything that Kai said to her, those small words that meant the most in the world that he had finally got the courage to tell her.

The park beckoned ahead, he walked on. Everything continued to wash over him like a wave of warm water. The bench he stood before held the key, he thought, to when these emotions had started. He had spilled his soul to the very one he thought he couldn't trust at first, but had grown to love over a period of time that seemed like years, but was only a few months. _Good God, has it really only been since late July that I've known this girl? It feels like it's been forever, like I've known her all my life. _

It both sounded and felt cliche to Kai, but at the smae time it only felt so right that he should be in love with Ember. They seemed to click somehow, as if they were two halves of a whole. Like a circle, like...a lot of things. He just didn't see why she couldn't love him back. Sure, she thought of him as someone she could trust, but he had a feeling she wasn't in love with him the way he was with her. Every part of his rational thought screamed this at his heart, threatening to take away the very last shreds of hope that Ember may love him in some way.

Kai turned the path back to the dojo. He needed to talk to her, all of this time he had been avoiding her as he was too afraid of what her reaction would be to what he needed to tell her, wanted to tell her. Ember was someone he just couldn't afford to lose in his life, just like his mother.

_"When you meet the girl of your dreams, don't be afraid to tell her. She will always accept you for who you are."_

He sped up, moving into a jog, and then a run. He was going to follow his mother's advice that day, even if that meant going against all of his earlier morals. Kai thought the saying, 'your mother is always right' come into his head and chuckled mirthlessly. For once, Kenny's mad ramblings had actually caught up with him.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Running up to her, his eyes wild, Kai embraced the redhead in a hug so close and warm that she felt she couldn't be happier. Tears trickled down her cheeks as she held him, not ever willing to let go. But she knew she had to tell him WHY she was leaving. When she looked up, she could sense he wanted to know. He needed to know why.

Ember sighed and let go. Kai's gaze drifted down to the luggage she was carrying, and then looked up, shocked. "Ember...what's going on?" he asked, confused and startled.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

AN: Short chapter, I know, but I had to write just something. I'm busy, and the epilouge will go up tommorow, just as I promised. OMG it's Christmas Eve! -squeals- I'm in such a good mood I could SING! In fact, I think I will! LAAAAA!

Sneak Peek

Kai looked to the ground, his heart telling him that he needed her, couldn't live without her. He couldn't understand why this was happening, and why she had to leave. Couldn't she see he'd die without her?

AN: Uhhh...okay, didn't realise my singing was that bad. Heh heh. Epilouge tommorow (WHICH IS CHRISTMAS) and then I'll move onto LE2. See you tommorow!

Tyrila Anios xxx


	33. Epilouge: Forever And A Day

AN: The very last one! I want to thank you all now for giving me the encouragement to write and I have had a good time with this fic. I will thank you all personally at the end of this one, so read on, read the epilouge, and we'll see what happens to our Kai in shining armour! Also, take heed! This chapter has a bit of coarse language in it.

Disclaimer: I do not own the cast of Beyblade. I only own original characters (OCs) made up by me and this story.

Song: Stay Close, Don't Go - Secondhand Serenade

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

**Epilouge - Forever And A Day**

**"I**'m so sorry," she sobbed, the tears coming thick and fast, like a waterfall of epic sorrow, "I don't want to do this, you know I could never leave you Kai...but the truth is, I have to. For you and for everybody else." Kai didn't say a thing. He stared into her eyes, the feeling of betrayel echoing through his veins. The moonlit dojo room echoed with stillness, the day's trials running silently, like one of those old black-and-white films that didn't contain sound. Whistles and moans of the wind outside shooting through the tight branches of the trees were a background melody as was the chirping of the crickets in the grasses.

"Ember," he finally spoke, "I don't want you to leave. You do realise," he said coldly, taking a pace towards her, "That you will be breaking everybody, not just me? There's Rally, Trixie, Damien, Hilary, Tyson, EVERYBODY!" His voice was raising in anger as his emotions poured out of him like an overturned cauldron, "Betraying us is the only way you can get yourself out of danger, isn't it? I do not want to sound harsh. All I am saying is, that you can't fucking well expect us to take this lightly! And there is PLENTY of stuff you can do to protect yourself! Get into one of those judo classes, or better yet, I'll train you! Is this the only was out for yourself, or is it something else that you are running from?" Kai was almost screaming as he spat out the words, "What the fuck are you running away from?"

She froze, her entire mind stopped. This wasn't Kai. He had turned into someone - no, some_thing_ else. Every word was laden with blame, each poison-tipped arrow of anger aimed directly at her. Every syllable was full of disbelief, rage, sorrow and betrayel. Sobs gathered in her chest as she stood her ground, not sure what to say. Kai remained still, his eyes shut, anger washing over him as he took in what he had said. Everything, to him, didn't make sense. First the whole tournament, then Boris and the Russia incident, and suddenly, out of the blue, she had told him she was running away. 'For safety's sake' she had said. What was safe about all they had done in the past? And he had done so much for her, she expected him to bend at her will and say it was alright? She didn't understand the ramifications of what he was feeling, his pure love for the girl across from him and the sheer anger that she could be so foolhardy to take in a boy like himself. Kai felt every fibre of his being want to run over to her and hug her, tell her he didn't mean anything that he had said - but that was impossible. He HAD meant every single word he had said. Only he didn't want her to feel bad...all he wanted was for her to stay forever with him. Only now, it didn't seem possible.

"I'm not...running from anything," she choked out, tears racing down her soft skin, "I-I don't want to betray you. I'm not!" The rage that had fuelled Kai's outburst now fuelled her sorrowful wail as she continued, "But obviously I can't trust you! I sense nothing but hatred from you, and I should have paid attention to what everybody else around me was saying!" Kai looked to the ground, his heart telling him that he needed her, couldn't live without her. He couldn't understand why this was happening, and why she had to leave. Couldn't she see he'd die without her?

He didn't make any move to stop her as she scooped up her suitcase, and left the room. Kai heard nothing but his breathing for a long time afterwards. The emptyness was back again.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Ember made haste as the moon rose even higher into the night sky, the clouds that looked like wisps of the lightest wool skimming over its dappled grey surface. The light was enough for her to see clearly as she made her way to the taxi rank. Deserted and abandoned for the night, she knew there was no chance that she could get a taxi before early morning, maybe around four in the dawn or something like that. Checking the timetables she saw there was one leaving at 3.30am.

_Good. The sooner I'm out of this place the better. _As she sat, she allowed the conversation she had had with Kai sweep over her and encase her in a bubble of questions. Each whirled with no answer or purpose, filling her mind until she felt like her head would burst. Worries rolled around too, like vagrant butterflies. She felt she had been too harsh on him, but she had seen his eyes. Kai had never given her a look of such pure anger before, and she had known at that very moment that there was no point in her staying there a moment longer, or returning ever again. He would never accept her, just as she would never accept him. It was over. She wanted nothing to do with Kai Hiwitari ever again.

That very someone was watching her, through the corner of his eye as he stood in the cluster of trees in the park's gateway. She couldn't see him - her head was in her hands and it was obvious from the shuddery movement of her back that she was crying tears for England. He looked at the ground, silver diamonds congregating in his open eye before dripping to the ground with one sweep of his eyelid, as he shut out the pain he was receiving every second. Waves and waves of it came without any signs of stopping.

Kai strode along the road and Ember showed no signs of noticing his presence. With a sigh he sat in the dark, shadowed corner of the shelter, all the while keeping an eye on her. She jolted up when the voice she had become so accustomed to addressed her in a weary, beaten tone:

"You know, it's kind of moronic to be stuck out here, in the cold night, without a jacket."

Her eyes locked onto him, both shocked and scared. Silence echoed, before he began to speak again, "Yes. Something Tyson would do, heck maybe even me if something hit me on the head." When she finally managed to speak, her voice was soaked with shameful anger at him, "What the hell are you doing here?" It carried uncertianty, uncertianty that hung between them like a silken thread that could be snapped at any second.

Ember continued to glare, but now her eyes were softer. If he had come all this way out to find her, surely he must be here to apologize? Most likely he would be there to rub salt into the wounds, but that was only if he was talking in a vindictive, crititcising and painful tone. He wasn't, and in fact his deep vocal pattern was carrying a slightly shamed tone.

"I came to say I'm sorry."

Those small words sent her reeling. So he didn't mean any of it? Did he want her to do what was best after all? It was all so tense and uptight in her body Ember thought she was going to have a heart attack.

"I didn't want to hurt you. Heck, there was no reason for me to hurt you. I never wanted for you to feel like you didn't want to know me any more, and I know you're mad. But hear me out." He remained silent for a second as she processed this information in her head. When she nodded slowly he continued, "When I lost my mother I felt empty, as if nothing would ever make me feel was even worht it any more. I grew cold to the world as sarcasm, pain and taunting became my only ways of showing emotion. But," here he smiled softly in her direction, "You helped me grow out of that shell. You showed me I can't live my life a lie and torture others with my words, keep quiet and never tell somone why I am doing so."

Ember remained still, but then got up. She walked over to him and sat down next to him, leaning her head on his shoulder, "In case you don't realise by now," she said, "I forgive you. I understand you didn't want me to leave because you wouldn't feel safe...but the truth is, I will come back one day to see you again. Promise."

Both didn't say a word as the night went by. Kai and Ember fell asleep, neither of them in any doubt that the other only wanted to do the best for them. In early morning, many hours later, a loud honking woke them both up. Ember was leaning her head in the crevice of Kai's neck, while he had subconciously buried his face in her hair. They both blushed and got up without a word. The taxi driver glowered at them over the open window, "Well, missy? You gonna get in or not? I can't stay here forever waiting for you and your boyfriend you know." Not bothering to correct him, she took her suitcase up and slammed it into the back of the trunk. Shutting the trunk she walked over to Kai and hugged him tight.

Kai slipped his arms around Ember and sighed. He felt he could stay this way forever, like he had no other place in the world. Also, she fit very nicely in his arms, perfectly, as if she was made to lie in them day in and day out. Eventually they parted and she got in.

The taxi left slowly, buzzing into life before making its slow way down the road. Before it sped up, Ember yelled out to him, "Goodbye! I'll see you as soon as I can! Don't worry, I'll be back!"

He smiled and waved. He continued to wave as the taxi dissapeared over the hilltop and into the blackness.

She was gone.

But he had some last words to say...

"Ember..." Kai whispered to the wind.

"I'll love you forever and a day."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

_**THE END**_

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

AN: Oh my stars! We finished it! I finished Love's Embers! YESSSSS! This is no small feat for me either! Now, time to take the time I guess to say Merry Christmas to you ALL. Thank you to all my reviewers, including: AnimeCrazy88, Rawr-Yer-Face, AlaskaGurl, lover-of-time, MuLan12365, akkiangel, Ruby, moon-dragon91011, trinitaria, karina-Trigger, and all the rest of you! Sorry, some I just can't name right now! All of you reviewers, and all of you readers and watchers and favers and ALL of you who have had anything to do with this at all. So, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Love's Embers II - Love's Not An Illusion will be released later on this year on the thirtieth or thirty-first of December 2006.

See you all later, and keep reading!

Tyrila Anios xxx


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